Disabled Sport Organizations in Connecticut

There are a wide variety of sports and activities available throughout Connecticut. Listed here are some of the programs available, along with contact information where available.

Sports Organizations within Connecticut The CT Jammers Quad Rugby Team - providing challenging opportunities for quadriplegics... The CT Spokebenders Basketball Team - Connecticut's wheelchair basketball team... The Gaylord Wheelchair Tennis Team - competing throughout New England. Sponsored by Gaylord Hospital The Alpine Ski Club - members learn and enjoy adaptive skiing techniques. Sponsored by Gaylord Hospital Handcycling Club - hosting a number of rides throughout the state for members. Sponsored by Gaylord Hospital

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Rugby, or wheelchair rugby as it is also called, is a sport with roots going back to wheelchair basketball and ice hockey, which is not surprising, since it was developed by three Canadians from Winnipeg, Manitoba as a quadriplegic equivalent to wheelchair basketball. The sport was originally called murderball due to the aggressive nature of the game. It was introduced in the United States in 1981 by Brad Mikkelson, who with the aid of the University of North Dakota's Disabled Student Service's, formed the first team, the Wallbangers, and changed the game's name from murderball to quad rugby.

In 1988, the United States Quad Rugby Association (USQRA) was formed to help regulate and promote the sport on both a national and international level. Since its introduction, Quad Rugby has grown to become a truly international sport, with teams now competing from around the globe. There are now more than forty-five organized teams in the United States with many others in the developmental stage. In addition to the teams in the US, there is estimated to be at least twenty international teams from as far away as Australia in addition to those in Canada. Without question, quad rugby is the fastest growing wheelchair sport in the world today.

Players may have various disabilities that preclude their play in able-bodied sport competition. Players must have a combination of upper and lower extremity impairment to be considered as eligible to participate. Most of the players have sustained cervical level spinal injuries and have some type of quadriplegia as a result. Players are given a classification number from one of seven classifications ranging from 0.5 - 3.5. The 0.5 player has the greatest impairment and is comparable to a C5 quadriplegic. Of those eligible to participate, the 3.5 player has the least impairment and is similar to a C7-8 incomplete quadriplegic. Both male and females are encouraged to play, and because of the classification process gender advantages don't exist.

The above is an excerpt from the United States Quad Rugby Association. For complete information please visit their website at www.quadrugby.com.

The CT Jammer's Rugby Team

The state’s only quad rugby team, the Jammers compete in tournaments throughout the United States. The team provides new competitive opportunities for athletes with quadriplegia. The Connecticut Jammers is a member of the United States Quad Rugby Association.

A Brief History of Wheelchair Basketball

In the years immediately following WWII, as early as 1946, paralyzed veterans began to form the organized sport of Wheelchair Basketball. Working through Regional Paralyzed Veterans Associations, most notably Califonia and the Northeast PVA, there were six wheelchair basketball teams in the United States by 1948 - all functioning from VA hospitals in their regions. It was not long before the sport had spread across the border to Canada and even overseas to Britain.

Today wheelchair basketball is one of the most popular and competitive sports around the globe. In the United States the official governing organization is known as the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA).This organization has grown to include 3 Mens Divisions, as well as a Women's, Collegiate and even a Junior Division.

Connecticut's Team

The oldest disabled sports team in Connecticut, the CT Spokebenders consist of 12 athletes who compete throughout the northeast. The team is a member of the Northeast Conference of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.

The Spokebenders are always looking for new players to join the team. For more information please contact:

Connecticut Spokebenders
John Zaleski
926 Moss Farm Road
Cheshire, CT 06410
Phone 203-272-3919 (H)
203-420-4460 (W)
cyberzee@snet.net