United Spinal Association Helps Give MLB Fans a Showcase of Wheelchair Softball
On July 7 and 8, United Spinal Association helped promote the game of wheelchair softball during the Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Fan Fest, which was held this year at the Moscone Centre in San Francisco, California.
Wheelchair softball athletes from around the country participated in several games at the venue to demonstrate to MLB fans that you can compete in the great game of baseball even if you use a wheelchair.
Thirteen players from various MLB-sponsored wheelchair softball teams were represented at Fan Fest, including the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs and White Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Boston Red Sox, and United Spinal’s New York Mets and Yankees. In addition, four players from the Sacramento River Cats (a newly sponsored minor league wheelchair softball team) represented the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants. Play was on a make-shift baseball diamond composed primarily of Astroturf, located in the center of the venue. The number of spectators was phenomenal, and the event was a great success.
Thanks go out to Amber Rae and MLB for allowing United Spinal Association and all the athletes with disabilities involved the opportunity to participate in the event and showcase their abilities.
NBA’s New Jersey Nets and United Spinal Team Host Wheelchair Basketball Clinic for Kids
The New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association hosted a wheelchair basketball clinic for children with disabilities at their practice facility in East Rutherford, NJ, on Monday, August 20, 2007, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. The clinic was conducted by members of United Spinal Association’s wheelchair basketball team, the United Spinal Nets.
Instruction focused on wheelchair movement, dribbling, passing, and shooting. Participants included boys and girls with mobility impairments, and other disabilities that require a wheelchair.
The New Jersey Nets have sponsored United Spinal’s wheelchair basketball team since 1999. The team competes in the Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference and in a variety of tournaments across the country and holds numerous wheelchair basketball clinics for kids and adults throughout the year.
United Spinal Association’s Director of Sports & Recreation, Bill Hannigan, noted, “We’re delighted that the New Jersey Nets are making their practice facility available for our kids’ clinic and we’re proud to be affiliated with one of the NBA’s premier clubs.
United Spinal Navigators Win 112 Medals at the 2007 NJDC
The United Spinal Navigators Wheelchair Sports team wrapped up their best season in years last week when they traveled to Spokane, Washington for the 2007 National Junior Disability Championships (NJDC). The United Spinal Navigators’ performance at the NJDC was excellent; all the athletes obtained new personal best records and the team netted a total record of 112 medals (70 Gold, 26 Silver, 16 Bronze), set 16 new national records, and placed second on the large team category consisting of teams with 9-23 athletes. The United Spinal Navigators team consisting of coaches; Ken Brucato, Jimmy Cuevas, Isabel Cuevas, Daniel Martin, and Adam Mertz; and 9 athletes; Jerson Calderon, 12, of Hillsdale; Emmanuel Cespedes, 9, of Jersey City; Jim Cuevas, 16, of Jersey City; Gianfranco Iannotta, 12, of Garfield; Miguel Jimenez, 7, Ewing; Raymond Martin, 13, of Jersey City, Bryson McLeod, 15, of Woodridge; Crystal Orihuela, 10, of Jersey City; and Toni Saia, 15, of Staten Island; competed at the 2007 NJDC in track, field, swimming and table tennis events.
“The coaching staff and the parents are very proud of our athletes for their accomplishment at the 2007 NJDC and I am blessed to get to work with this special group of people,” Navigator’s coach Jimmy Cuevas said. “The coaching staff is very pleased with the way our team continues to improve and excel in wheelchair sports. Currently, there several colleges and universities offering wheelchairs sports programs, as well as athletic scholarships for wheelchair athletes. we hope that our program shows our athletes that there are a lot of opportunities for their future…We want them to succeed on and off the track because how they do in school plays a big role in their future.”
The National Junior Disability Championships (NJDC ) gives young athletes with disabilities an opportunity to participate in an encouraging venue, and to compete against the top athletes from the US while preparing them for their participation in future Paralympics Games. Since 1984 the NJDC have grown to include over 250 athletes with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, visual impairments, amputations and limb deficiencies from all over the United States and several foreign countries.
