Play Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair basketball is lots of fun to play. It’s a great team sport that can help you to build up strength and coordination, learn new skills and make new friends along the way. There is a place in wheelchair basketball for you as a player, a coach, a referee or official. Kids as young as 5 and 8 years old are enjoying the game and there are some great beginners programs to help you learn the basics.
Anyone who is able to push a manual wheelchair can play wheelchair basketball. If you have limitations in running, jumping and pivoting, wheelchair basketball might be the sport for you. You don’t need to use a wheelchair everyday to be eligible to play and able-bodied people are welcome to play too so bring your parents, brothers and sisters and friends and give it a go!
You don’t need your own wheelchair to get started. There are often spare wheelchairs available for you to try out the game. If you start to play regularly, you might use a wheelchair that’s designed to fit you and there are Wheelchair Sports Associations in every state that can offer advice and assistance with borrowing, renting or buying a wheelchair.
You will find below details of local development opportunities across Australia. Some programs charge a nominal fee for court hire and equipment and some don’t operate during school holidays so be sure to make contact with the person responsible in your area. Come and try it for yourself!
New South Wales
NSW – SYDNEY
Alexandria
Program details: Wednesdays, 6pm – 8pm at Alexandria Community School Belmont St (off Fountain St)
Contact: Craig Jarvis on 0422 997 714 or Craig.Jarvis@SESIAHS.HEALTH.NSW.GOV.AU
Bankstown
Program details: Saturdays (Starting August), 9.30am – 10.30am at Bankstown Basketball Stadium
Contact: David Rose on 9809 5260 or daver@wsnsw.org.au
Hunters Hill
Program details: Mondays, 6.30pm - 8pm at St Josephs College, Hunters Hill
Contact: Sarah Stewart on 0403 938 562 or sarstewa@arts.usyd.edu.au
Sutherland
Program details: Thursdays, 6.30pm – 8pm or Sutherland Basketball Stadium, WaratahPark (off Rawson Ave)
Contact: Vicki Fragiadakis on 0422 064 484 or nicfrag@optusnet.com.au
NSW - REGIONAL
Albury
Program details: Tuesdays, 6pm at Albury Stadium Contact:
Contact: Terri Cavanagh on 0428 719 254 or SCavanagh@csu.edu.au
Central Coast
Program details: Fridays, 7pm – 8pm at Central Coast Youth Club
Contact: Sue Finlayson on 0417 041 758 or finlayso@optusnet.com.au
Coffs Harbour
Program details: Fridays, 2pm – 4pm at Sportz Central
Contact: Raymond Munro on 0408 649 126 or r.munro@internode.on.net
Illawarra Wollongong
Program details: Wednesdays, 7pm – 9pm at Shellharbour City Stadium
Contact: Eino Okkonen on 0421 701 445 or eokkonen@optusnet.com.au
Taree
Program details: Tuesdays, 3.30pm – 6pm on SAXBY Stadium
Contact: Terry Mason on 6557 8575
Wagga Wagga
Program details: Wednesdays, 5pm – 6.30pm on Bolton Park Stadium
Contact: Phil Pellow on 0428 267 608 or phillippellow@bigpond.com
Queensland
Brisbane/Ipswich
Program details: Mondays, 6pm – 8pm at Southern Districts Basketball Association, Zahel Street, Carina
Contact: Gia Vaiaso on (07) 3253 3333 or mail@sportingwheelies.org.au
Cairns
Program details: Sundays, 10am – 12pm at Cairns Basketball Stadium
Contact: Garry Parker on (07) 4033 1487 or cairns@sportingwheelies.org.au
Gladstone
Program details: Sundays, 6pm – 8pm at Kev Broome Stadium, Side St Gladstone
Contact: Michael Oxley on (07) 4938 3708 or capricornia@sportingwheelies.org.au
Gold Coast
Program details: Saturdays, 10.30am – 12.30am at Nerang PCYC
Contact: Lisa Stewart on 0409 612 009 or rollerblaze@bigpond.com or check out the new Rollerblaze website! www.rollerblaze.com
Mackay
Program details:
Thursdays, 5.30pm – 7.30pm at Pioneer High School
Saturdays, 9am – 11am at Mackay PCYC
Contact: Peter Sumpter on (07) 4953 1991 on mackay@sportingwheelies.org.au
Rockhampton
Program details: Wednesdays, 5.30pm-7.30pm at The Cathedral College, William St Rockhampton
Sunshine Coast
Program details: Tuesdays, 6.30pm – 8.30pm at USC Sport Centre, Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
Contact: Gia Vaiaso on (07) 3253 3333 or mail@sportingwheelies.org.au
Toowoomba
Program details: Fridays, 6.30pm – 8pm on Clive Berghofer Indoor Recreation Centre, USQ, West St
Contact: Gia Vaiaso on (07) 3253 3333 or mail@sportingwheelies.org.au
Townsville
Program details: Thursdays, 6.30pm – 8.30pm at Townsville Crocodiles Club, Stuart Drive
Contact: Jonothan Orman on (07) 4721 4881 or townsville@sportingwheelies.org.au
Yeppoon
Program details: Saturdays 10am-12pm at Capricorn Coast Multi Sports Complex, Cordingley Street, Yeppoon
Contact: Michael Oxley on (07) 4938 3708 capricornia@sportingwheelies.org.au
Western Australia
Perth
Program details:
Mondays, 7pm – 10pm Be Active State League (A-grade)
Tuesdays, 7pm – 1pm Be Active State League (B-grade)
Saturdays, 12pm – 1pm Little Dribblers (Junior program 5 – 12yrs)Saturdays, 1.30pm – 3.30pm State Junior Training
Venue for all Perth programs is the Herb Graham Recreation and Fitness Centre, 27 Chesterfield Rd, Mirrabooka
Contact for WA: Joel Mackenzie Wheelchair Sports WA - (08) 9440 4245 admin@wheelchairsportswa.org.au
Victoria
Melbourne
Program details: Tuesdays on 6.30pm – 9pm atKnox Basketball Stadium
Contact:
Albury – Wodonga
Program details: Tuesdays, 6pm – 7.30pm at Albury Sports Stadium
Shepparton
Program details: Tuesdays, 6pm – 7.30pm at Shepparton Sports Stadium
Gippsland
Program details: Wednesdays, 7.30pm – 8.30pm at Traralgon Secondary School
Contact for VIC: Stephen Odgers, Wheelchair Sports Victoria on (03) 9473 0133 or Sodgers@wsv.org.au
South Australia
Adelaide
Program details: Tuesdays, 6pm – 9pm at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, 214 Hampstead Road Northfield
Contact: Darren Schutz, Wheelchair Sports SA on (08) 8234 1533 admin@wheelchairsports-sa.org.au
Tasmania
Hobart
Program details: Alternate Saturday & Sunday Moonah Basketball Stadium, Gormanst Rd
Saturday 10am – 12pm
Sunday 3pm – 5pm
Contact: Kevin Faulkner on (03) 6272 7513 or kfaulkner@paraquadtas.org.au
Northern Territory
www.wheelchairbasketballnt.webs.com
Darwin
Program details: Thursdays, 6.30pm – 9.30pm at Darwin Basketball Stadium, Abala Rd, Marrara
Contact: Jan Palazzi, Disabled Sports Association NT on (08) 8945 4800 or DisabledSportNT@bigpond.com
