The gym is packed with fans. They yell and cheer for their favorite team. The thunk thunk of the basketball being dribbled down the court competes with the squeal of the players’… wheels?
It used to be that kids and adults with developmental or physical disabilities couldn’t play sports like basketball, but that has changed. Not only are there classes and camps, there is even an entire league for players who use wheelchairs. According to the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA), those who cannot play a competitive game of basketball on their feet can play in the NWBA. This includes people with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, a prosthetic leg, or those who suffer from the effects of polio.
Players can begin by using their own standard wheelchairs, but to really play by Marcia Amidon Lusted competitively, they need a sport version of the wheelchair. It is lighter and has no brakes, and the wheels have a tighter camber (angle), slanting in at the top to allow the player to turn in a tighter circle. There are also a few rule adjustments for wheelchair basketball.
You must dribble once for every two pushes to avoid a traveling violation.
There is no double dribble violation in wheelchair basketball.
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