Wheelchair Basketball is a fun and fast-paced Paralympic Sport for people with physical disabilities, that requires strategy, skill, fitness & team work.

Our Wheelchair Basketball program offers the opportunity, for all ages, to develop Wheelchair Basketball skills under the guidance of very talented & dedicated coaches. Both have won Paralympic Medals, representing their countries, in Wheelchair Basketball.

‘Wheel Eagles’ weekly training sessions are free and a great opportunity to socialise and have fun, whilst learning valuable Wheelchair Basketball skills. Training sessions focus on: fitness, ball & chair skills, game strategy, learning the rules and teamwork. Sports chairs and equipment are provided for training, at no cost. We welcome everyone to join us, especially friends and family.

We also provide opportunities to represent Manly Basketball Association in various Wheelchair Basketball Competitions, that run between February and November. New players are welcome to join, all throughout the season.

Who Can Play Wheelchair Basketball?

Impairment Type

To be eligible to play wheelchair basketball, a person must in their lower limbs have an objective and measurable permanent physical disability, which prevents them from running, jumping and pivoting as an able-bodied player.

Classification

The classification of wheelchair basketball players has evolved significantly over the past 15 years. Wheelchair basketball classification is based on the players’ functional capacity to complete the skills necessary to play – pushing, pivoting, shooting, rebounding, dribbling, passing and catching.

It is not an assessment of a player’s level of skill, merely their functional capacity to complete the task. Players are assigned points as their classification – 1, 2, 3, and 4 are the recognized classes, with 0.5 classes between for the exceptional cases which do not fit exactly into one class, and the 4.5 category for the player with least or minimal disability.

Classes are defined according to players’ “volume of action”. Each class has a clearly defined maximal volume of action, which the player may exhibit. Players are observed in their competition wheelchairs, complete with all strapping they will use, but in a training situation before the tournament commences. From this initial observation, a player is assigned a class with which they will begin the tournament. The player is then observed in an actual competition game, at which time their classification will be confirmed or modified if the classification panel feels it is necessary.

The total number of points allowed on court at any time is 14.0. That is, the total points of all five players actually playing. If a coach allows the team to have over 14.0 points, they will incur a coach technical foul.

Our Wheelchair Basketball Development Pathways include:

• Train: Weekly ‘Wheel Eagles’ training sessions
• Play: Junior Hub Comp, Club Challenges, 3×3 Comps & Country Cup Festival
• Compete: Waratah League & Slam Down Under Competitions
• Represent: Guidance & support for high level players to trial for National Leagues

“Wheel Eagles” Training Information:

Venue: Dee Why PCYC, 40 Kingsway, Dee Why, NSW, 2099

Cost: ‘Wheel Eagles’ training sessions are free.

Session Times: 4-6pm during the school term

What to wear & bring: All sports equipment provided. Bring water and wear comfortable sports clothes.

Wheelchair Sports Insurance:Free for athletes and junior members. Required for training. Click HERE