General Wheelchair Basketball Concerns

Wheelchair Basketball has unique challenges that may impact the overall success of your players and team. Here are some Breakfast Club Wheelchair Basketball concerns:

  1. Do you have the components of success? Is it tactical, technical, mental, and life balanced?

  2. How do you make it fun?

  3. What are some of the barriers to playing?

  4. What are your benchmarks for success?

  5. What are the strengths/weaknesses of your players, lineup, team, program, or region?

  6. Please message us with some of your basketball concerns that you would like to add to this section.

Our Components of Success: How do you integrate the tactical, technical, mental, and life-balanced components?

To see our other pyramids of success, click here.

To see our other pyramids of success, click here.

Decisions may be made based on these components of success. By understanding the nuances of these areas, you can choose the best strategy for your team.

TECHNICALLY CORRECT

Are you executing the drill/skill with appropriate form? Some example questions that reference technical precision include:

  • Are you using your shoulders and using the correct angle during pushing or chair skills?

  • Are you passing to the right target?

  • Are you following through with your shot?

TACTICALLY CORRECT

Do you have the correct strategy for this athlete, lineup, or team? Example questions:

  • What is the best defensive strategy for the team you are playing against?

  • Is your choice of pass correct for this athlete? (ie., bounce vs. hook, etc.)

  • Are you maximizing the strengths of your lineup?

MENTAL

Before you execute a skill, you have to be mentally prepared for that skill. You will want to consider:

  • What is your player’s best performance state? (Confident and in the moment)

  • Narrow vs. Broad focus (Narrow focus for the execution of a shot or pass; broad focus when seeing the court)

  • Correct progression of repetition helps to give your players confidence. When they know that they are capable of a skill, they are significantly more likely to execute.

LIFE-BALANCE

Athletes that are unable to manage or maintain components of personal their life often experience problems on the court. People with disabilities may face unique challenges that will impact their level of play. Stay connected and establish good rapport with your players in order to understand what is going on in their lives. Athletes and coaches should have a safe and positive sport environment.

How do we make it fun?

Fun can mean a lot of different things, but overall, it has to be a priority in each training session. This may be difficult to balance out since teams often consist of multiple skill levels and abilities.
For example, high-performance athletes often require a greater physical challenge. Start with having fun, and then figure out how to incorporate other elements into your practices.

What are your Barriers to success?

Recruitment and Retention

Do you have the numbers for a practice? How committed are the individuals that show up? What are their motivations for coming?
By understanding the barriers that uniquely impact a disabled athlete, you can develop a strategy that is sustainable.

Medical

People with disabilities are generally more injury prone, need longer recovery times, and need more medical attention than able-bodied counterparts.

Financial

Wheelchair Basketball is a costly sport. A new basketball chair can cost over $3,000 dollars, and players are often required to travel significant distances in order to compete. There are financial resources available: