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Adaptive Sports offers adult and youth cross-disability, co-ed wheelchair basketball programs:
- Wheelchair Basketball – Divisions I and III
- Junior Wheelchair Basketball
All basketball programs are affiliated with the National Wheelchair Basketball Association and are played in accordance with NCAA rules, with a few exceptions that are outlined by the NWBA. Wheelchair basketball retains a 10-foot basketball hoop and standard basketball court. The exceptions are rules that have been modified with consideration of the wheelchair. For example, “travelling” in wheelchair basketball occurs when the athlete touches their wheelchairs more than twice after receiving or dribbling the ball.
The NWBA is composed of over 200 basketball teams across twenty-two conferences and seven divisions. The NWBA was founded in 1948, and today consists of men's, women's, intercollegiate, and youth teams throughout the United States of America and Canada.
The AbillityLab basketball programs all participate in tournaments and competitions throughout the Midwest and regional tournaments around the country with the ultimate goal of qualification to the National Wheelchair Basketball Championships. Junior basketball players may participate on adult teams and women are welcome to participate on the Hornets team.
All athletes must be registered with the Adapted Sports and Fitness Program in order to participate. For more information, please contact Mark Schultz at mschultz.org.
Junior Wheelchair Basketball – Chicago Skyhawks
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AbilityLab together with the Chicago Park District (CPD) offers 8½-foot and 10-foot junior basketball teams!
The Chicago Skyhawks Junior wheelchair basketball teams are a developmental basketball program for youth with physical disabilities. Each child will participate in a designed sports wheelchair to equalize the playing field for each athlete that participates. Kids participate in one of two teams based on their age and ability level.
The junior basketball program will promote growth in fundamental skills of basketball while teaching each athlete the life skills of sportsmanship, hard work, dedication, friendships, and acceptance to their abilities. Open to youth ages five years of age through high-school seniors. The Chicago Skyhawks teams will participate in local area tournaments with the goal of reaching the National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament.
Teams meet to practice from September – April on Saturdays 9:00am - Noon at Rainbow Beach Park (3111 E. 77th St, Chicago 60649). If you are interested in joining the Chicago Skyhawks Junior Basketball program or would like more information, contact Mark Schultz at mschultz@sralab.org.
AbilityLab Hornets DI and Skyhawks DIII Teams
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The AbilityLab Hornets are broken up into two divisions within the NWBA championship - Hornets DI and the Skyhawks Division III teams. The AbilityLab championship teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally and the Division III program is the developmental feeder program to the championship division. The teams compete in tournaments locally and nationally.
The Hornets meet from September – April on Tuesdays 6:00 - 9:00 pm at S.J. Gregory Auditorium (5649 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660). The Skyhawks meet from September – April on Wednesdays 6:00 - 9:00 pm & Fridays 6:00 - 9:00 pm at Jesse White Community Center (410-412 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL 60610).
If you are interested in joining either squad or would like more information, contact Mark Schultz at mschultz@sralab.org.
