Rolling Grizz, Neuro Note 4

As a class we went out to watch The Rolling Grizzlies, a wheelchair basketball team in Memphis. The environment was extremely inviting and welcoming. The coach came over and introduced himself to us and then shared some of the rules with us; such as, they are allowed to push the wheelchair twice before they have to dribble or pass, the height of the basket and the number of players is the same as in a running game. We also got to see many transfer as many of the players had to transfer into their playing wheelchair. The players participated in about an hour scrimmage with minimal breaks, which was impressive because it seemed like hard work! 

After their practice, we were able to talk to the players and have hands on experience of what it felt like to be in their shoes. Probably, the most meaningful experience of this outing was running into my friend, Jake Wigg, one of the players. When he walked in I was so excited because I had not seen him in a while, and my first thought was "Oh, he must help coach the team.", but the next thing I knew he was putting himself in a chair. To say I was confused was an understatement! I had known Jake for a few years now, and I had no idea he had a spinal cord injury! I went up to him after the practice and asked him what qualified him for wheelchair basketball. He told me that in high school he was diagnosed with a disease that compresses his spinal cord which disqualified him for any kind of contact sport. During this time, his friend introduced him to wheelchair basketball and Jake went on to get a full ride scholarship to play wheelchair basketball at Missouri. I definitely learned something new, not only about my friend, but also that you do not have to be paralyzed to play wheelchair basketball!

I thought the most encouraging aspect of this experience was seeing how diverse the team was with a 1;1 ratio of African Americans to Caucasians. I think it is pretty safe to say that you will not be able to find a team that diverse anywhere else in Memphis. It was so eye-opening that even though a SCI can be so debilitating, it does in a way put everyone on a level playing field with better a perspective on life. This team has so much influence to help bridge racial gaps in our society and I think that is really exciting! Everyone on the team clearly had a sense of community and inclusion and it was refreshing to be in an atmosphere like that. 

My take away from this experience is to remember to be including of all people, because at the core we all bleed the same, and that is what the wheelchair basketball team help me see. They also showed me how important community is and how it helps in the rehabilitation process. I hope to share this knowledge when I practice so that people feel fulfilled with their lives.