Wheelchair Basketball

Are you interested in playing wheelchair basketball ? Do live in the Maidstone, Sittingbourne or Folkestone areas ?

Or are you interested in being part of a new Kent Women's Team?

 

Wheelchair Basketball at Pent ValleyMaidstone Rebels wheelchair basketball club is now established at Aylesford School and Sports College Sports Centre, playing every Saturday afternoon (3:00 - 5:00 p.m.) - check out their website !

They are looking for new players and play the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association League, in the 3rd division south

You can check their League progress and that of their opponents through the link above.

 

Maidstone Rebels w.b.c. fixtures and results for 2009/10

  • Rebels (20) v Aces 4 (0)- Saturday 19th September - Rebels awarded game by default
  • Rebels (37) v Bears 2 (39)
  • Blackhawk Mallards (21) v Rebels (42)- Sunday 11th October
  • Rebels (33) v Hampshire Harriers (31) - Saturday 17th October
  • Gloucester Blazers (49) v Rebels (31) - Saturday 24th October
  • Harriers (28) v Rebels (33) - Sunday 8th November
  • Bears 2 v Rebels - Sunday 6th December
  • Aces 4 v Rebels - Saturday 12th December
  • Raiders 3 v Rebels - Sunday 17th January 2010
  • Rebels v Gloucester Blazers - Saturday 30th January
  • Rebels v Blackhawk Mallards - Saturday 27th March
  • Rebels v Raiders 3 - Saturday 10th April
  • Rebels v Tornados 2 - Saturday 17th April
  • Tornados 2 v Rebels Sunday 25th April

Meanwhile,the new team in Sittingbourne, based from Swallows Leisure Centre, train on a Tuesday evening, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. They have now adopted the name "Black Pearl W.B.C." and have recently been awarded £400 from Kent Reliance Building Society Sportsaver scheme.

and the Folkestone based Valley Vipers team continue to train from The Valley Leisure Centre, at Pent Valley School

If you are interested in playing, officiating or sponsoring any of these Club's, or in helping us to set up a new Club in Kent, please contact Mike Bishop

 

The Sport

Basketball Wheelchair BasketballPhotograph by Mathilde Dusol Wheelchair Basketball is among the oldest and most established of wheelchair sports, having been introduced over fifty years ago as a rehabilitation and recreational pursuit for people with spinal cord injury. It is now enjoyed by people with different impairments and at lower league levels, by non-disabled people as well.

One of the advantages of wheelchair basketball is that there are very few differences in either rules or equipment between the wheelchair version and the non-disabled original version of the game. The basket is the same height, the court is the same size, the duration of the games is the same, the rules are almost identical, apart from a few minor changes, - the dribble ruling is different in the wheelchair game.

Possibly the only respect in which the game does differ from its non-disabled equivalent is in the classification of players, according to their level of impairment. A highly disabled player will normally be marked as one point, while a below the knee amputee will be around 4.5, in order to ensure both teams are reasonably balanced in ability terms. Non-disabled players are awarded 5 points each and the combined total of each team of five players must not exceed 14.5 points.

 

Picture of Wheelchair BasketballThe governing body of the sport in the UK is the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association (GBWBA), which organises the national teams, and the UK wide leagues, currently of approximately 75 teams.

The sport has been successful because it is fast, exciting, challenging and competitive and to be successful you have to continually strive to improve your skill levels, both as an individual and as a team.

For further information on the GBWBA and to find out about your local Clubs go to the GWBA website

For information on International Wheelchair Basketball

Photo thanks to ParalympicsGB - "Ability Vs Ability"

Kent Disability Sport Associate Officer for Wheelchair Basketball is Mike Bishop