The Third Annual Junior Nets Wheelchair Basketball Tournament will be held on Saturday, February 2nd from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Hackensack Middle School, 360 Union Street in Hackensack. Members of the public are invited to attend.

Besides the United Spinal Association Junior Nets, participating junior teams will be the Long Island Lightning and Katie’s Komets from Pennsylvania. A special exhibition contest between the adult United Spinal Association Nets Division 3 team and the Junior Nets will be played.

Funding for this event was provided in part by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

The Junior Nets wheelchair basketball team is currently ranked ninth in the nation. Its players include Joseph Bruno of Paramus, Chelsea Crytzer of Parsippany, Tim Irizarry of Linden, Dylan Levine of Paramus, Ryan Lodato of Brick, Bryson McLeod of Wood-Ridge, Mariya Redden of Jersey City, Emily Seelenfreund of West Orange, and Kaitlyn Willard of Havertown, PA. All Junior Nets players are under 17 years of age. Two Junior Nets team members are world-class athletes in their age group in other sports. Dylan Levine excels in wheelchair tennis, and Bryson McLeod is accomplished in wheelchair track events.

Wheelchair basketball is played on a standard basketball court but players may only push their wheelchair twice before dribbling or passing the ball. The height of the basket is the same as in college or professional basketball. Wheelchairs specially designed for speed and maneuverability are used in this highly-competitive sport.