On Saturday, Nov. 11, the Sports Management class and The Center for Adapted Physical Activity hosted the Wheels for All Tournament event once again. The event lasted from 9 AM – 4 PM on Saturday and featured teams from UWL as well as the surrounding community.

Hosted in Mitchell Hall, the tournament consisted of two types of games: wheelchair basketball and wheelchair handball. With four players per team in wheelchair basketball and seven per team in wheelchair handball, the courts were turned into a warzone of fun and friendly competition.

As was to be expected, this event was all for fun and games. The Wheels for All Tournament is meant to bring people of all kinds of abilities together to learn from one another and to experience a different way to enjoy a Saturday.

The event is hosted solely by students in the Sports Management major and works with The Center for Adapted Physical Education to promote a space in which able-bodied and non-able-bodied participants can play a friendly game of wheelchair basketball or wheelchair handball.

Wheels for All also serves as a learning curve for Sports Management students. They work on the tournament all semester, which in turn serves as their final project. “It was great for us, as Sport Management majors, because, for those of us going into the field, it’s great practice,” UWL Senior Brandon Luebke stated.

Volunteers are also a large part of the event and can serve as referees, help set up for the day, etc. “We’ve done so well with sponsorship that we’ve been able to go out and actually buy some prizes which we are trying to get out into the public and let them know that not only is it going to be prizes for the winners, but also for those who sign up, participate, or volunteer,” Assistant Professor Dr. Eileen Narcotta-Welp stated. “We are always looking for volunteers.” 

If volunteering isn’t something you’re looking for right now, then participating in the event is the next best thing. For five dollars, you get a free t-shirt, entered into the raffle, and have fun with your friends.

“You get to do something different,” UWL Senior Aaron Wagner commented. “You don’t get to play handball in a wheelchair very often and it’s a great opportunity to do so with this event.”

If you missed the event this time, have no fear! The event is hosted every semester and there is always room for you to get involved.

“I volunteered for this event last year and I like this event because it’s fun. It’s a cheap way to have fun with your friends and it’s a way to be involved with people of all kinds of abilities,” says UWL Senior Taylor Clarizio.

According to Narcotta-Welp, this event is a great way to get involved and meet new people. “What I try to teach in most of my courses is that difference is a positive and we can continue to learn from each other and makes spaces on this campus, and within sport fitness, inclusive spaces for all abilities.”