Sports Roundup: United Spinal Liberty Joins NWBA’s Women Division

by Tom Scott

The 2006 United Spinal Liberty Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team

United Spinal Association, the fastest growing spinal cord injury and disease (SCI/D) organization in the country, is proud to announce the creation of one of the first women’s wheelchair basketball teams sponsored by a professional franchise in New York. The team, co-sponsored by United Spinal and the New York Liberty Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, is composed of women with disabilities, ranging in age from 5 to 51. As part of the Women’s Division of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA), the United Spinal Liberty will compete against 10 other women’s teams from across the country.

Coached by New Jersey native Re Marks, the team recently competed in a tournament in Washington, DC, and finished with a 1-2 record, registering their first victory against Pittsburgh’s Steel City Starz, 24-18.

“Our first tournament was a learning experience, since it was a new team and they never played together,” Marks said. “Once we discussed positions and how to work together the team started to look and play better.”

Marks, an experienced physical education and health teacher with a Masters from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, is honored to be coaching the team and being a part of the NWBA’s Women’s Division. She hopes that women’s adaptive sports gain more recognition and respect. “Women’s sports need to become as organized as the men’s teams,” Marks added. “There are women who are good athletes and deserve the chance to continue in what they enjoy and the experience is priceless as it gives them a chance to do what ‘able bodied athletes’ can do.”

United Spinal Liberty player Kelly Loth, is optimistic about the team’s first season. “I think our team will do well,” Loth said. “I look at this season as a growing season. We are learning each others’ styles of play, what the strengths and weaknesses are, and how to come together and use those strengths to our advantage. When we won our first game you could tell that we did some of that then. With practice and hard work, I think we should have a good season. I think it’s a great opportunity to be on the United Spinal Liberty. It’s nice to be part of women’s basketball. I see a bright future in our younger athletes and I’m proud to represent the tri-state area.”

Loth, 33, has always been interested in sports. She has coached junior wheelchair basketball and adaptive field events in Illinois. Ten years ago, Loth was diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), a degenerative upper motor neuron disease characterized by a gradual development of muscle weakness and stiffness. Like many of her teammates, her disability did not stop her from pursuing her love of sports. “Since my diagnosis, I have started playing other sports such as sled hockey, wheelchair tennis, adaptive field events, and handcycling,” Loth said. “My number one love, though, is basketball.”

Re’s daughter, Jillian, also plays for the team. She is inspired by her mother’s involvement in wheelchair basketball. “I am really happy and proud of my mother because she encouraged everyone to have women’s wheelchair basketball teams and to have me continue playing,” she said. Jillian, 23, has been playing basketball since she was 10 years old and is looking forward to the season. “I know our team will do great once we all play together and know what to do to win games,” she added.

Re is proud of her daughter’s achievements as well. She researched programs to help her daughter, who was born with spina bifida and has had to use a wheelchair since she was 8 years-old. Spina Bifida, a neural tube defect, is the most common birth defect, affecting approximately 1 in 1,000 births in the United States. Since spina bifida can occur at any of the five levels of the spinal column, multiple body systems can be affected: neurologic, musculoskeletal, and urologic.

Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside, New Jersey, started a day program which Jillian attended. “When she was three they asked if she wanted to do track and field for wheelchair athletes. She started and continued until she was twenty-one. She competed in track, field, swimming, and at the age of ten started playing basketball,” Marks said. “I helped in practice and at thirteen Jillian joined a co-ed team and I was assistant coach. Three years ago we became the United Spinal Jr. Nets and the parents asked me to coach and the first year we went to nationals and came in fifth and this last year we were the National Champions. We hope to repeat this year.”

The United Spinal Liberty looks forward to competing at the Nationals, which take place the first weekend in March in Alabama. “As this is our first year we hope to win a few games at the Nationals and learn from it all,” Marks said. “It will just be exciting to attend a women’s tournament and have an opportunity to play against all the great teams in the Division.”

Bryant Park Sled Hockey Clinic

The United Spinal Rangers sled hockey team, co-sponsored by United Spinal and the New York Rangers, recently held a sled hockey demonstration at The Pond at Bryant Park, a new public ice skating rink in New York City. The demonstration took place on Wednesday, December 7 from 4 pm to 6 pm, during a New York Rangers-sponsored skating session.

From November 9 through January 4, the Rangers have hosted Skating Nights every Wednesday at The Pond. Activities included skating with Rangers alumni, meet and greets, autograph sessions, MSG Network features, and youth hockey clinics.

The Pond at Bryant Park is situated on the Bryant Park lawn, located behind the New York public Library on 42nd street between 5th and 6th Avenues. For more information on upcoming events, call 212-768-4242.

Jets Quad Rugby Exhibition at Ursinus College

The United Spinal NY Jets quad rugby team-co-sponsored by United Spinal and the New York Jets NFL football team- recently participated in an exhibition benefit game against the Philadelphia Magee Eagles at the Floy Lewis Bakes Field House (Helfferich Hall), at Ursinus College Collegeville, Pennsylvania.

The event originated as part of a Management & Organizational Behavior course at the college as a way of teaching students about the essential management functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling a successful fundraising event.

Keith Cavill, who starred in the award winning documentary Murderball, participated in the event.

All proceeds from the event have been donated to United Spinal Association.