Sports Programs
Wheelchair Basketball
Adaptive Sports Northwest has three wheelchair basketball teams: the Portland Wheel Blazers, the Junior Wheel Blazers, and the Prep Junior Blazers. Learn more about each of these teams below, including information about upcoming events and how you can support the teams.
Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced form of basketball. Based on the able-bodied version of the sport, most of the rules, tactics, and plays are the same: court dimensions, basket heights, number of players, playing time, shot clock, scoring, and 3-point line.
As the name of the sport implies, athletes in wheelchair basketball play from a seated position in a chair specialized for the sport. Some rules differ from the sport’s able-bodied counterpart: dribbling, traveling, and fouls all have rules specific to wheelchair basketball.
Teams play games against other teams from around the Northwest and West Coast at tournaments each year, including regional cities such as Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane.
ASNW Wheelchair Basketball teams are members of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.
2021 Bridge City Classic Highlights
Who Can Participate
Wheelchair basketball competition is open to male and female athletes with physical disabilities such as amputation/limb loss, spinal cord injury/wheelchair-users, cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke, and other orthopedic and locomotor disabilities.
Athletes must be able to follow sequential commands. All ages are welcome. Athletes need to be members of ASNW to participate in sports programming.
We host open gym time for drop-in adaptive basketball on Wednesday evenings during the season at East Portland Community Center. See our full events calendar.
Contact Programs@adaptivesportsnw.org with any questions about our Wheelchair Basketball program including eligibility, practice schedule, and athlete requirements.
Portland Wheel Blazers
Adult Basketball is for anyone over the age of 18.
Coaching Staff: Matt Weber
Support Adult Basketball
Donations made through the form [or] link below will go directly to supporting the Wheel Blazers adult wheelchair basketball program. We use these funds to help offset costs for traveling and lodging in order to participate in tournaments.
Upcoming Events
The regular season has concluded and there are currently no upcoming scheduled events for Adult Basketball. Check back in the fall for calendar updates when the season starts again.
Junior Wheel Blazers – Varsity
Junior Basketball has two divisions: Prep and Varsity. Varsity is for youth ages 13-17.
Coaching Staff: Connor Fitzgerald
Support Youth Basketball
Donations made through the form below will go directly to supporting our Youth (varsity and prep) wheelchair basketball activities and athletes offsetting our costs for travel, accommodations, practice rental spaces, equipment, expensive tournament fees, and uniforms.
Upcoming Events
There are currently no upcoming scheduled events for Varsity Basketball. Check back in the fall when the season starts again for calendar updates.
Junior Wheel Blazers – Prep
Junior Basketball has two divisions: Prep and Varsity. Prep is for youth up to age 12.
Coaching Staff: Zoe Kilmer
Support Jr Prep Basketball
Donations to support Junior Prep basketball can be made through the form under “Support Youth Basketball” above.
Jump to Youth Basketball Donation sectionUpcoming Events
There are currently no upcoming scheduled events for Jr Prep Basketball. Check back in the fall when our season starts back up for calendar updates.
Gallery: Wheelchair Basketball in Action
Click on the images below to view full size.