Wheelchair basketball team looking to overcome deficit of space

A local wheelchair basketball team is looking to overcome its deficit of space.

Rose City Riot ParaSports president John Azlen said the club is losing out on wheelchair basketball players because they’ve run out of space in their trailer.

He demonstrated the lack of space by opening the back door to the trailer, when a large tire fell out of the over-packed trailer. The club would like to step up its game.

“It's tight,” Riot co-founder Rob Bahre said.

“There are ten chairs in here. There are basketballs. There's equipment. There's a lot of stuff. We don't even have room for our tools.”

Rose City ParaSports President John Azlen opens the team's over-packed trailer as a wheel falls out in Windsor, Ont. on Nov. 13, 2024. (Bob Bellacicco/CTV News Windsor)

Azlen said there aren’t enough wheelchairs to accommodate players.

“People have to share and that's not a bad thing necessarily, sharing, but not everybody needs the same style of chair,” he said.

The chairs that don’t fit in the eight-foot trailer are left behind in storage, leaving the club at a disadvantage every night they play. A fundraiser has been launched for a 12-foot trailer, which would help fill the need.

“When we don't have a chair that meets somebody's needs, they get discouraged and then we don't see them again,” Azlen said.

“If we have the equipment ready for them, it gives them that opportunity to actually try basketball and potentially stick around.”

Former Windsor Lancer Celine Freeman-Gibb was a standout shot put thrower in her day and has been playing wheelchair basketball for six years. She would like to see the club grow.

“One big push that we want is to have a youth program,” Freeman-Gibb said.

“Having youth come out of all abilities, whether they're able-bodied or they're in a wheelchair, in a day chair, we want them to come out and learn and grow through sport.”

The goal is to ultimately help players develop and perform at provincial and national levels.

“Have athletes going to Team Ontario, Team Canada, things like that,” she said.

For that to happen, Azlen feels the club needs to take the next step and score a new trailer.

“Anybody can play,” said Azlen.

“All you have to do is get in a wheelchair and we have the chairs. We just need the bigger trailer to bring on the chairs with us.”

If you would like to donate to the cause, you can do so here.