Team History

Five years ago, OSU students with disabilities began a petition drive to establish a sponsored OSU Wheelchair Basketball Team and revitalize the Adaptive Sports Club. The program initiative received endorsements from students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Team members were recruited and OSU was accepted as a member of the Arkansas Valley Conference (AVC) for wheelchair basketball, competing against four other community teams from Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Muskogee and Fort Smith Arkansas. An internal base of funding support was developed for facility modifications, equipment needs, and to award a limited number of out-of-state tuition waiver scholarships. The equipment needs alone were significant in that one "sports chair" can cost from $1,500 - $3,000. In addition, OSU owns a lift equipped ADA Van that is used for team travel. Finally and most importantly, OSU developed a salary budget to hire a part-time Graduate Assistant to coordinate the program and, as the program grew, a full-time Coordinator (and Coach) was hired as a valued staff member of the Colvin Recreation Center.
 
Probably the most rewarding result of establishing this new program has been to witness the individual growth of student participants. Experience shows that many wheelchair-assisted students who attend OSU were injured recently and the transition in learning to cope with their disability can be traumatic. Many were excellent athletes before their accidents and it is far too easy for one to become withdrawn, self-absorbed, and isolated. By rekindling the competitive spirit, combined with the development of a support system, students typically do become more self-confident, involved in community life, and successful. Like other student athletes, there is no guarantee of success...only the "opportunity" to succeed.
 
Since forming the co-ed OSU Wheelchair Basketball Team, team members and volunteers have raised funds by playing exhibition games, selling team-logo shirts, securing some corporate and organizational sponsorships, and holding periodic garage sales of donated items. The team responded by winning the Arkansas Valley Conference the last two years in a row (and going"undefeated" in conference play for 2001-2002). Tulsa had previously held the title for 12 years.
 
The long-standing goal of the OSU Wheelchair Basketball Team has been to participate at the intercollegiate level and OSU was accepted as a member of the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) for the 2002 - 2003 season. This presents a special challenge in that OSU must travel to places like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, and Pennsylvania. An average of $5,000.00 per trip is needed to help cover a charter bus, travel, food, and hotel expenses. As a way to raise extra funds, an all-star team of the OSU varsity Cowboys & Cowgirls will play the Wheelchair Basketball Team a benefit wheelchair basketball game on April 12, 2005 in Gallagher-Iba Arena. You can help by purchasing a ticket to the event for only $5, available at OSU Athletic Ticket Office or the HUB in Student Union. This program is growing. Please help support the team, provide opportunities for these very capable athletes, and establish OSU Wheelchair Basketball as a national entity.

If you are interested in making a donation to the team, please contact Stacy Pinney, stacy.pinney@okstate.edu, or 405.744.8538. Any help you can provide to the team is greatly appreciated. We hope you will also purchase a ticket and come out to support OSU's Disabled Athletics.