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National Wheelchair Basketball Association I

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NEWSLETTER Ottlc. of the CommIuIo"., • no S .. ton • It CJf K .... tuck L .. ln ton KY 40506

Vol. XXIX March 1, 1990 Number 4

TSC MAKES UP REGIONAL TOURNAMENT FIELD

The NWBA Tournament Selection Committee convened in Lexington. Kentucky on February 24 and 25 to review applications from 65 teams for berths in the 16 regional tournaments scheduled to be held on the weekend of March 10-11.

The Committee, appointed at the end of the 1988-89 season by NWBA President Marvin Lapicola, was charged with the task of: (1) ranking the learns on the basis of their 1989-90 season performances; (2) assigning the teams to regional tournaments feeding into respective sectional areas of the country; and (3) assigning game officials to the regional tournaments based on conference recommendations. The results of their efforts are found in the regional tournament bracketing which accompanies this Newsletter.

This newly adopted system, with its emphasis on placement based on ranking, produced only a few surprises . For one, the 4th-ranked Fresno Red Rollers of Northern California, opted to travel east where the Committee assigned them to the 5-team regional tournament in Richmond, Virginia. Should Fresno win, the team will be required to return to play in the Eastern Sectional tournament which will be held in Baltimore, Maryland on March 24 and 25. Fresno's strategy in entering the Eastern Sectional was to escape the larger number of top 20 teams contending for a Final Four berth in the Far West Sectional. There, Casa Colina Condors (2nd), Los Angeles Stars (7th), Golden State 76ers (8th), and Long Beach Flying Wheels will vie for the privilege of representing the westernmost section of the country.

Alberta Northern Lights, normally thought of as a Far West Sectional team, found themselves in the midwest as the first seed in the regional tournament in Minneapolis . Other top 20 teams in the midwest sectional area are number one Arkansas Rollin' Razorbacks at Kansas City, number 5 Grand Rapids Pacers at Milwaukee, and number 15 Chicago Bulls at

Toledo. Number 17 Denver Nuggets were assigned to the Dallas regional hosted by the Mavericks (l2th) , and thus slated to return there for the Southern Sectional should they emerge the tournament winner. The Nuggets' 2nd place rival in the Rocky Mountain Conference, the Colorado Cowboys, were placed in the Kansas City regional where they must overcome heavily- favored Arkansas in order to gain a berth in the Midwest Sectional scheduled for Minneapolis, MN two weeks later.

The southern section with its four regional tournaments located at Nashville, Chattanooga, Dallas and Houston, has 5 top 20 teams competing for the coveted Southern Sectional tournament berth, but only one in the top 10 - Music City Lightning. The others are Dallas Mavericks (l2th) , Alabama Rolling Tide (13th), Lakeshore Pioneers (14th) , and Denver Nuggets (l7th).

Rounding out the top 20 teams are four in the east where they are top-seeded in their respective tournaments: the Twin City Spinners (11th) at home in Kitchener, Ontario ; the New Jersey Blue Devils (l8th) in their own tournament in Clark, New Jersey; the Ottawa Royals (19th) , assigned to the New Jersey regional; and Toledo Silver Streaks (20th) who will be at home for their own regional.

According to the new rules governing postseason play. automatic berths are accorded only to the first and second place teams of conferences and divisions. Other teams (conference independents, independents, 3rd and 4th place conference teams) may be selected on the basis of their season's record. The 65 applications accepted were broken down as follows : 26 first place teams J 19 second place teams, 9 conference independents , 5 independents , 5 third place teams J 1 fourth place team J and 1 fifth place team .

The TSC ranked the 65 teams as follows :

1. Arkansas Rollin' Razorbacks

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'2 . Casa Colina Condors 3. Music City Lightning 4. Fresno Red Rollers 5. Grand Rapids Pacers 6. Detroit Sparks 7. Los Angeles Stars 8. Golden State 76ers 9. Long Beach Flying Wheels

10 . Alberta Northern Lights 11. Twin City Spinners 12. Dallas Mavericks 13 . Alabama Rolling Tide 14. Lakeshore Pioneers 15. Chicago Bulls 16. Chattanooga Big Wheels 17. Denver Nuggets 18. New Jersey Blue Devils 19. Ottawa Royals 20 . Toledo Silver Streaks 21. Baltimore Ravens 22. Cypress College Chariots 23. Colorado Rolling Cowboys 24. San Diego City Knights 25 . Charlotte Cyclones 26 . University of Kentucky Wheel Kats 27. Dallas Texans 28. Boston Mustangs 29. Minnesota Rolling Timberwolves 30 . South Texas Chariots 31. Baltimore WAC 32. Lafayette Spinners 33. Champaign-Urbana Black Knights 34. Connecticut Spoke benders 35. Willamette Rolling Rebels 36 . Sioux Wheelers 37. Tampa Bay Suncoastel's 38 . Pasadena Big Wheels 39. EPV A Chargers 40. Chicago Sidewinders 41. Columbus Buckeye Wheelers 42. Richmond Rim Riders 43. Cincinnati Flyers 44. Philadelphia Spokesmen 45. Pittsburgh Steelwheelers 46. Washington Warriors 47. Kansas City Pioneers 48. Houston Cougars 49. PARI Rhode Runners 50. Virginia Beach Sun Wheelers 51. Whittier Wings 52. Madison City Bombers 53. Hamilton Steel City Wheelers 54 . Tulsa Rollin' Roustabouts 55 . Adirondack Raiders 56 . ORC Lowriders 57. Ottawa Shooters 58. Santa Barbara Riptides 59. Racine South Shore Breakers

60. Buffalo EPVA Chariots 61. Okie Spokesmen 62. Rio Grande Valley Spinners 63 . Spirit of Wisconsin 64. Long Island Express 65. Rio Grande Valley Athletic Club

NWBT REGISTRATION DEADLINE LOOMING

Registration materials for the 42nd Annual National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament were mailed to member teams, conference officers, assistant comntissioners and selected others in early February. The deadline for hotel reservations was indicated as March 6. Beyond that date, registrants can be expected to pay the regular room rate established for that time of year - $125.00 per day. To avoid the increased rate. mail your registration today.

Members are alerted to the fact that the Radisson Plaza Hotel Lexington, headquarters for the NWBT, erred in publishing a $35.00 per day room rate on its registration form. That rate is applicable only to the Final Four teams which qualify for the tournament. If you have sent in your registration form and checked off that amount, you will be informed that the rate is $70.00 and not $35 . 00 per night. Our apologies for any inconvenience caused by this error.

Tournament organization is proceeding on schedule . A big boost to those working on the printed program would be if all teams reaching the sectional tournaments would mail in a team photo and player biographies immediately following the regional tournaments. These materials should be sent to Kathy Cole, clo Campus Recreation Dept., University of Kentucky. Seaton Building. Lexington, KY 40506.

WOMEN'S NATIONAL TOURNEY TO HAVE 9 TEAMS

The 15th National Women's Wheelchair Basketball Tournament will be played in St. Louis Park. Minnesota from March 27 to 31. Eight established teams will enter the fray with a ninth made up of players (composite team) who ordinarily play on men's teams in the NWBA. The composite team is not eligible for the title .

The defending champions are the Courage Rolling Timberwolves of Golden Valley, MN

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who defeated the University of Illinois Fighting IUjni in last year's title match . Third place in 1989 went to Southern California Sunrise who edged out the Bay Area Meteorites .

New to the tournament in 1990 will be the Texas Heat from the Dallas area, led by Pam Stewart, former Wright State Lady Raider and member of the gold medal winning U. S. team in the Paralympic Games in Seoul, Korea in 1988 .

The tournament director is Bob Szyman, Director of Sports and Recreation. Courage Center, Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley. MN 55422, Telephone (612) 520-0479.

TRAVEL ISLE ANNOUNCES NWBT FARES

The word from Travel Isle of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, official travel agent for the NWBA, is that bookings for flights into and out of Lexington for the 42nd NWBT are complicated by Easter week travellers following the NWBT weekend . Following are air fares to and from Lexington for the weekend of April 5-8. Please keep in mind that all fares are based on availability, are non-refundable, non- changeable, and must be purchased one day after the reservation is made.

Los Angeles Chicago Dallas Denver St. Louis Boston Detroit Nashville

(LAX & Ontario)$358.00 $203 .00 $218.00 $300.00 $198.00 $270.50 $194.00 $198 . 00

Reservations can be made by calling Travel ]sle collect at (213) 547-1303 . The fax number is 3(213) 547-9315 .

NWBA/PVA SUMMER CAMP

After much deliberation and consideration of several potential sites, the Director of Sports and Recreation for the PYA, Andy Fleming, together with NWBA Commissioner Stan Labanowich, have agreed that the 1990 NWBAJPVA national basketball camp will be held at the University of Wisconsin­Whitewater, August 5-11. Further information will be provided in future issues of this Newsletter .

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PARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA

WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL TEXT BOOK AND VIDEO TAPES

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THE VIDEO TAPE Presented tn two volumes. the Wheelchair Basketball videos will help you visualize the concepts and skills described in the book. Volume I covers individual skiDs such as shootlng mechanics. common pick mechanics, individual defense and drills. Volume 1I examines team play. including defensive and offensive transition concepts. man· to-man and combination defenses and the read and react offensive system.

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, National Wheelchair Basketball Association

NEWSLEnER Otfk. of the Conwniuio"... • "' Suton Building • Uni~,.lty of K .... tucky • L .. lngton, KY 4OS0.

Volume XXIX March 13, 1990 Number 5

HISTORIC TEST FOR NWBA POSTSEASON PLAY

The weekend of March 10 and 11 served as an historic test for the NWBA when 65 teams entered postseason play. It was the weekend reserved for the introduction of the new system of regional tournament assignments by the Tournament Selection Committee.

While all the evaluations and critiques are not yet in. we deem the system off to a good start. The next phase. the four sectional tournaments. from which the Final Four will emerge J is a further test to be culminated in Lexington. Kentucky on April 6 and 7. At that point, we expect to see the Association's four strongest teams in contention for the national championship.

All told, there were ten 4-team, two 5-team, one 6-team, and one 3-team tournaments, and two single game playoffs played. Each produced a winner that will advance to one of the four sectional tournaments to be held in Dallas, Minneapolis, Baltimore, and Claremont, California on March 24 and 25.

There were few surprises in the regionals . In the south, Music City Lightning, Alabama Rolling Tide, Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Texans won ou t. as expected. The Texans' chances in the regional at Houston improved dramatically when top-seeded Lakeshore Pioneers had to withdraw before the tournament because of player personnel problems.

The nation's number one ranked team, the Arkansas Rollin' Razorbacks, came through its midwest regional at Kansas City unscathed, while other favorites in the midwest did likewise: Grand Rapids Pacers at Milwaukee, Alberta Northern Lights at Minneapolis, and the hometown favorites Sliver Streaks at Toledo.

The four teaD:ls qualifying for the Eastern Sectional were not unexpected: Detroit Sparks, Fresno Red Rollers, Twin City Spinners (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario), and

New Jersey Blue Devils . California-based Fresno happened on the eastern regional in Richmond, Virginia by virtue of the new rules adopted by the NWBA and its assignment there by the Tournament Selection Committee.

Only in the far west did arrangements take on colors of a different hue. Because of the smaller number of teams with which to work, the TSC was brought to arrange a 4-team regional in San Diego, a 3-team playoff in Salem, Oregon and two single-game playoffs at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. Nonetheless, the favorites prevailed : Long Beach Flying Wheels at San Diego, Golden State 76ers at Salem, and Casa Colina Condors and Los Angeles Stars at Costa Mesa.

BOSTON TEAM PROTEST SPURS PROPOSED CHANGES

In the two-week period following the TSC's assignment of teams to the regional tournaments, a protest entered by The Boston Team, the first place team of the Northeastern Conference, brought about a reevaluation of the premise for assigning teams to regionals on the basis of their national ranking as opposed to place men t on the basis of geographic proximity.

In Boston's case, the protest centered on the fact that it was assigned by the TSC to Kitchener, Ontario, some 400 miles farther than the neighboring regional in Hartford, Connecticut. The protest, heard by the TSC in a telephone conference on March 3, was denied but its appeal to the Executive Committee on March 5 was upheld . The Executive Committee ruled that despite the improved competitive opportunity in Kitchener where second-seeded Boston had 11th ranked Twin City Spinners to contend with, Boston should have been privileged to travel the shorter distance to Hartford, even though 6th ranked Detroit Sparks constituted a major opposition. The Executive Committee based its decision on the wording of the Bylaw III, Section 3( d) which states:

The first place conference finisher shall be given the highest priority

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relative to travel distance. The second highest priority relative to travel distance shall be accorded to the higher ranked leam(s).

Subsequ4:!lItly, th4:! lOUL'namenl lit HI:1l'tIol'd ww;

restructured for six learns and at Kitchener for four.

With that, a second dispute arose involving the first-place Denver Nuggets of the Rocky Mountain Conference, who announced to the Commissioner on March 6 that they could not raise the funds to travel by air to the Dallas regional and were forced to withdraw. The Commissioner, recogniz.ing that the TSC had placed the Nuggets in Dallas because of 8

more favoruble draw than in Kansas City which was closer and "drivable". suggested that the Nuggets appeal directly to the Executive Committee for reassignment to Kansas City. In anticipation of a written appeal from the Nuggets J the Executive Committee reviewed the circumstances on March 7 and ruled that the Nuggets should be assigned to Kansas City instead of Dallas. At that late date, the Nuggets announced that they were unable to organize the trip to Kansas City, and declined to accept the opportunity.

The Commissioner also brought the Executive Committee's March 5 ruling to the attention of the Detroit Sparks who had been assigned as the first place team of the West Division of the Lake Ontario Conference to the Hartford regional. The regionals at Toledo and Kitchener were considerably closer to the Sparks and the choice of a shorter travel distance by reassignment was offered them. Having already made extensive arrangements to travel to Hartford, the Sparks declined.

In review of other like circumstances and in light of the short time frame for altering the makeup of the regional tournaments, the Commissioner, together with the chairman of the TSC, Morris Gardner, decided that further petitions for reassignment would not be considered.

The events leading up to this critical decision by the NWBA Executive Committee has prompted a reevaluation and reinterpretation of the legislation governing postseason tournament competition. The Executive Committee has asked the Tournament Selection Committee to submit amendments to the Bylaws

and Executive Regulations to clarify the situation vis a vis postseason ranking and travel distance.

REGIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS

All-tournament teams were selected at four of the regional tournament sites: Houston, TX: Aaron Gordion and Roberto Vargas, Rio Grande Valley; Don Olson, Dallas Texans; Murray Polk and David Whitely, Houston. MVP was Vargas; Most Sportsmanlike, Olson. Milwaukee. WI: John Kansikas, Lee Montgomery. and Randy Nelson, Grand Rapids; Mike Teigen, Madison; and Stan Struve. Spirit of Wisconsin. MVP was Lee Montgomery . Nashville. TN: Tony Briley and Bob Petty, Virginia Beach; Roger Davis and Willy Buchanan, Music City; Tim Maloney, Kentucky. MVP was Ron Alsup. Richmond. VA: John DeAngelo, Philadelphia; Ken Hill, Long Island; Rodney Allen, Baltimore; J. R. Simms and Joe Wheeler, Richmond; Dave Sutherland. Ed Owen and Sal Diaz, Fresno. Most Sportsmanlike was Terry Moore, Richmond. MVP was Dave Sutherland, Fresno.

CONSOLATION GAME RESULTS

The results of the consolation games played in the ;regional tournaments are: Nashville: Virginia Beach 72. Cincinnati 48 Dallas: Rio Grande Valley 50, Okie 40 Houston: Houston 74, South Texas 71 Chattanooga: Tampa Bay 64, Charlotte 57 Kansas City: Kansas City 60, Champ . -Urb. 38 Milwaukee: Madison 52, Spirit of Wisconsin 26 Minneapolis: Minnesota 79, Racine 43 Toledo : Chicago Sidewinders 63, Columbus 51 Richmond: Richmond 57, Baltimore Ravens 45 Clark, NJ: Washington 65, EPVA Chargers 62 Kitchener: Buffalo 48, Ottawa Shooters 26 Hartford: Connecticut 58, Rhode Island 53

Boston 68, Hamilton 50 San Diego: Cypress College 60, Pasadena 59

OFFICIALS NAMED TO SECTIONAL TOURNAMENTS

Preliminary indications are that the regulation for using three officials for all postseason games has been well received throughout the NWBA . A comprehensive review is asked of the Assistant Commissioners and Conference

Presidents who will be attending the sectional tournaments and who will also be attending the annual meeting of the NWBA on April 6 in Lexington .

The 16 game officials appointed to officiate the sectional tournaments have been named as follows:

Southern: Tony Gonzales, San Antonio, TX Jackie Higgins, Maumelle, AR Tom Patterson, Nashville, TN Kent Wade, Lexington, KY

Midwest : Charles Hinz, Milwaukee, WI Tim Lawson, Little Rock AR Mark Nelsen, Sioux Falls, SD Bob Nussbaum, Toledo, OH

Far West: Uto Acosta, Fresno, CA Bob Doty J Lakewood, CA Dave Gerletti, Pasadena, CA Stan Hand, Salem. OR

Eastern: Willis Gibson, Brookline, MA Willis McCauley, Richmond, Va David Sontag, LaSalle, MI Jack ZilIes, Pittsburgh, PA

SECTIONAL OBLIGATIONS

TOURNAMENT TEAM

Each of the 16 teams advancing to the sectional tournaments is required to fulfill the following obligations to the national tournament sponsor as called for in the NWBA Constitution, Bylaws and Executive Regulations:

1. Supply the Orgaruzing Committee with an 8 x 10" glossy J black and white team photograph with identification of all personnel in the photo.

2. A team history of no more than 500 words.

3 . A biography of each player on the team roster indicating disability, education, accomplishments in wheelchair sports competition, and other relevant information of interest.

4. Number of years of involvement in wheelchair basketball for each player, coach and supportive personnel on the roster.

This information must be received in the Office of the Commissioner no later than March 21, 1990.

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SECTIONAL TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS

The director of each of the tournaments may be reached at the

sectional follOwing

~~~~:.n~u~mbers :

Bob Szyman

*"'=R.,;, Dave Kiley

H) "lI;;:!*'; Mike Naugle

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NATIONAL TEAMS SCHEDULED

Recent information from the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation reveals that there will be both a men's and a women's wheelchair basketball competition held at Stoke Mandeville, England this summer. The announcement comes in view of the fact that there are several competing international basketball championships scheduled this summer: (Gold Cup) for women at St. Etienne, France, July 3-11; the world championship for men (Gold Cup) at Bruges, Belgium, August 5-12; and the Pan American Games for men and women in early September in Caracas, Venezuela.

The ISMG competitions for men will be restricted to teams made up of no more than three players who have previously participated on a national team in Gold Cup J

Paralympic or European Championship competition. All other players would be "novices" in international competition, so to speak. The women's competition will have no similar restrictions but are intended to accommodate teams made up of players with none or limited experience in international championship competition.

There are expected to be II men's and 5 women's teams competing in this summer's Stoke Games.

U.S. TEAM COACH NOMINATIONS CALLED FOR

Nominations are called for at this time for the head coach of each of the men's and women's teams scheduled to compete in the 1990 International Stoke Mandeville Games at Stoke Mandeville, England, July 28-August 4.

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Address nominations for the women's learn coach to Karen Casper-Robeson. Chairperson J

Women's Division, 940 E . Orange Ave . • St. Paul, MN 55106. Address nominations for the men's team coach to Marvin Lapicola, Prel:>ident. NWBA, 1417 ChHrtwell Rotld. Schaumburg. IL 60195 .

The postmarked deadline for nominations is April I, 1990.

Both the men's and women's teams will be selected thereafter by committee as called for in the NWBA bylaws. The appointed coach will chair the selection committee in each case.

ANNUAL MEETING MATERIALS

The agenda for the annual meeting of the NWBA together with proposed amendments to the bylaws and Executive Regulations are scheduled to be mailed to the membership on March 15. Team representatives, conference officers J assistant commissioners and others taking part in the annual meeting (April 5 and 6) are asked to bring these materials to the meetings since extra copies will not be available.

1990 ELECTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER AND SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

The offices of Commissioner of the NWBA and the Second Vice President of the NWBA will come up for election at this year's annual meeting.

To date, no nominations have come in for the Office of the Commissioner, except that of the incumbent, Stan Labanowich of Lexington, KY.

The office of Second Vice President will be contested by Harry Vines of Little Rock, Arkansas. The incumbent, who seeks reelection for a five-year term, is Ralph Smith of University Park, PA.

Biographies of each of the announced candidates will be circulated in the next issues of the this Newsletter. Tradition in the NWBA allows nominations for office to be offered from the floor at the time that the Chairman of the Nominations Committee offers his report.

FORMATION OF U. S . MEN'S TEAM FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Harry Vines, Coach of the number one ranked Arkansas Rollin' Razorbacks and Head Coach of the men's national team scheduled to compete in the 1990 World Championship in Bruges, Belgium, has confirmed that the national team trials will be held in Schaumburg, Illinois, April 20- 22. The 30 players invited to the 3-day trials will be selected from the more than 100 names nominated by March 15 by the Preliminary Selection Committee made up of Assistant Commissioners of the NWBA . An 8-member National Selection Committee headed by Vines will announce the 30 selected players on March 20. Coach Vines, together with Assistant Coach Bob Szyman, will make the final determinations on the makeup of the U . S. team at the end of the trials in Schaumburg.

National Wheelchair Basketball Association

NEWSLETTER • 110 S •• ton Building Unl .... ,.ity at Kentucky • Lednglon, KY .....

Vol. XXIX March 16, 1990 Numbe"r 6

16TH NWWBT AND 14TH NIWBT TO BE PLAYED IN MINNESOTA

There will be plenty of wheelchair basketball played in St. Louis Park, MN from March 27 to 31. During that five-day period. the 16th National Women's Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, featuring 8 teams, and the 14th National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, featuring 6 teams, will be held under the auspices of Courage Center of Golden Valley. Minnesota, the North Central Conference, and the Central Intercollegiate Conference.

The two championships are drawing considerable attention in the greater Minneapolis metropolitan area. Tournament Director Bob Szyman, Director of Sports and Physical Education at Courage Center. tells us that a prominent local advertising agency has put up 40 roadside billboards throughout the area announcing the competitions . In addition, all of the SuperAmerica gas station franchises in the Ntinneapolis-St. Paul area are selling tickets to the tournaments. The program for the event is being printed by Minneapolis-based 3M Corporation as a service to the organizers and athletes. The support from these sources is much appreciated.

All told, 34 games will be played, 10 in the Intercollegiate tournament, and 24 in the women's, including 4 by a composite team of players from throughout the nation who will not be eligible for the championship. Their involvement is intended as a means for encouraging their participation in the women's movement with an eye toward developing women's teams in their areas .

The women's teams have been ranked by the Women's Division as follows:

1. Courage Rolling Timberwolves 2. University of Illinois Fighting Illini 3. Southern California Sunrise 4. Bay Area Meteorites 5. Wright State Univ. Lady Raiders 6 . Rehab. Institute of Chicago Express

7. Courage Rolling Gophers 8. Texas Heat 9. Composite team of NWBA players

They will play a round robin series in two pools with a cross-over semi-final involving the top two teams in each pool leading to a final and consolation game. Pool A will constitute teams ranked 1,4,5,8, and 9 . Pool B will have teams ranked 2,3,6, and 7.

The intercollegiate competitions will begin on March 29 as a modified round robin tournament. The teams have been ranked as follows:

1. University of Illinois Fighting Illini 2 . Southwest State University Broncos 3. Wright State University Raiders 4. Univ. of Wis.-Whitewater Warhawks 5. Southern Illinois University Salukis 6 . Temple University Owls 7. University of Texas-Arlington

Seventeen game officials have been appointed to handle the competitions:

Nate Buck, Golden Valley, MN Paul Camitsch, Plymouth, MN Ray Camitsch, Coon Rapids, MN Ray Enz, Minneapolis. MN Al Gonzalez, Los Angeles, CA Mark Gruen, Milwaukee, WI Mary Jeddeloh, Minneapolis, MN Mike Johnson, Minneapolis, MN Larry Labiak, Berwyn, IL Greg Langbahn, Cottage Grove, MN Jay McGivern, st. Paul, MN John McKusick, Moundsview, MN Bill Moore, Minneapolis, MN Mark Nelsen, Sioux Falls, SD Jim Purinton, St. Paul, MN Peter Szyman, St. Paul, MN Tom Tepper , Bloomington, MN

PYA SUPPORT OF BASKETBALL STRONG

The NWBA is proud to announce that the Paralyzed Veterans of America will continue its sponsorship of the annual National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament in 1990.

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The 42nd NWBT will be the 15th consecutive annual championship in which the PYA has been involved as a major sponsor. Beginning in 1976. when then PYA Sports Coordinator Cliff Crase campaigned for support of the annual extravaganza until the present, PYA has maintained a strong and abiding presence in the sport of wheelchair basketball. G. Andrew Fleming, PYA's Sports and Recreation Director for the past five years, has reinforced the Association's involvement, broadening it to include the holding of summer wheelchair basketball camps for novices. intermediates. coaches J and others over the past four years. Tied to the camps and the dynamic leadership which they have featured has been the publication of an instructional manual on wheelchair basketball and two video tapes which compliment the text. The instructional aids are the foremost of their kind in the world and are much sought after by players and coaches in the U . S. and other countries.

Fleming has announced that the 1990 NWBA/PVA summer basketball camp will be held at the University of Wisconsin­Whitewater, August 3-11. Detailed information will be forthcoming in the NWBA Newsletter, Sports 'n Spokes, and Paraplegia News.

NWBA CONSTITUTION AND DIRECTORY PUBLISHED LATE

The distribution of two annually published documents, the NWBA Constitution and the NWBA Directory has been delayed this year for reasons related to a mix of personnel shortage and technical (computer) breakdowns in the Office of the Commissioner.

Because the understanding and relevence of 1990-91 proposed amendments to the NWBA Constitution, Bylaws and Executive Regulations requires comparison to the 1989-90 version, an edition has been prepared which is slated to reach the membership within the next 10 days. This will enable team delegates and assistant commissioners to do the necessary groundwork for debate on the issues which are presented to the delegate body at the annual meeting.

This issue of the Newsletter is accompanied by the agenda and materials related to the annual meeting. Delegates are asked to bring them to the meetings because extra copies will

not be available.

COMMISSIONER AND SECOND VICE PRESIDENT TO BE ELECTED IN 1990

Two offices are up for election during the 1990 annual meeting. They are the office of Commissioner of the NWBA and the office of Second Vice President of the NWBA.

One candidate has been announced as running for the Commissioner's position. He is the incumbent, Stan Labanowich of Lexington, KY.

Two candidates have been announced for the position of Second Vice President : incumbent Ralph Smith of University Park, PA, and Harry D. Vines of No. Little Rock. AR. A brief biographical sketch of each is included below.

STAN LABANQWICH

Stan Labanowich began his career in wheelchair basketball in 1963 when he took a position as Supervisor of Recreation and Athletics in the Rehabilitation-Education Center at the University of Illinois. He coached the Illinois Gizz Kids from 1963 to 1973 leading the team to two national championships (1969 and 1970). one second­p lace finish (1968) and one third-place (1971). In 1975, he founded the University of Kentucky Wheel Kats and served as coach in 1975-76 . and 1981-82 . In each year from 1969 to 1975, he was selected as the head coach of the U. S. teams entered in international competitions. His teams won gold medals in the Stoke Mandeville Games of 1970, the Pan American Games of 1971 and the Paralympic Games in Heidleberg, Germany in 1972. In 1976, he served as Assistant Coach for the gold medal U . S. team in the Toronto Olympiad for the Disabled.

His administrative experience in the organizaion of wheelchair basketball was enhanced in working directly under Tim Nugent, founder of the NWBA. In addition. he served as the Secretary of the Midwest Conference from 1964 to 1971, and as Assistant Commissioner from 1971 to 1973. Upon Nugent's retirement as NWBA Commissioner in 1973, Labanowich was elected to fill the post for the remainder of the two­year, unexpired term of the position . He has served in that office in the years since.

Lal...anowich's influence in the international development of the sport has been signigicant, having played a major role in bringing the NWBA and ISMGF rules closer together over the years. He served as Chairman of the Basketball Section of ISMGF from 1976 to 1988 . In that office, he led in the struggle to open the ISMGF rules to all disabilities which enabled all NWBA players to become eligible for international competition for the first time in 1982. More recently he serves as the Chairman of the ISMGF Sports Coordinating Committee and as a member of the ISMGF Executive Committee.

An Associate Professor in Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Kentucky, he has written and lectured widely on sports for the disabled. He holds a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education degree from the University of Toronto and the Masters and Doctorate degree in Recreation from the University of Illinois. He is married (Betty) with two children, Craig and Leigh.

HARRY D. VINES

Harry Vines began his involvement in the sport of basketball as a player in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1953 . In the years since, he has progressed from All-State at Little Rock Central High School to playing at Oklahoma City University (17th in the nation in 1959) to coaching high school teams in Little Rock. In 1978, he volunteered to coach the newly established Arkansas Rollin' Razorbacks and has stayed with them ever since. The team has had a winning season every year since 1982, and in 1990 ranked number one among all teams in the NWBA.

Harry was selected to serve as head coach of the U . S . men's team in the Pan American Wheelchair Games in Puerto Rico in 1986 and the national team that won the gold medal in the International Stoke Mandeville Games in England in 1987 . More recently, he was selected to be the head coach of the men's team that will compete in the World Championships in Bruges, Belgium in 1990.

Off the court, Harry has been active in the development of the sport through participation as an officer at the conference and national level. He currently serves as the Assistant Commissioner of the Arkansas Valley Conference, and is a member of the Rules Committee.

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As a Vice President of the NWBA, Harry would work towards: expansion of training opportunities for new players through the NWBA/PVA camp program; encouragement of grass roots participation of players in the structure of the sport; development of a strong financial base for the NWBA; and recruitment of more youth and adults into the sport.

Harry is the Cruef Administrator for the Support Services Division of the Arkansas Worker's Compensation Commission. He has a BA in Physical Education from Oklahoma City University, and a BA in Business Law from LaSalle Extension, University of Chicago.

RALPH SMITH

Ralph Smith, Chairman of the NWBA Rules Committe, has held the office of Second Vice President from 1975 to the present. He founded the Baltimore Ravens wheelchair basketball tearn in 1970 and served as president of the Capital Conference from 1973 to 1976. In 1976, he directed the 18th NWBT held in Baltimore, MD, one of the few national tournaments to realize a net profit.

As Chairman of the Rules Committee from 1974 to the present, Ralph has maintained a systematic approach to the consideration of proposals to amend the playing rules and to introduce interpretations into the NWBA Case Book. He has utilized a representative group of individuals - players, coaches and officials - to screen proposals and interpret the impact of changes on the game. The current Rules test for NWBA game officials is a product of his efforts over the past eight years to standardize and upgrade the quality of officials. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Baltimore WAC for the pas t 5 years .

Ralph has a doctorate in Recreation from Pennsylvania State University. His Bachelors is from Western Maryland College, and rus Masters from the University of Illinois . He taught therapeutic recreation in the Department of Recreation at the University of Maryland from 1980 to 1987, and has since returned to Penn State where he serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Leisure Studies.

A veteran of Viet Nam, he is married (Tammy) with two children, Kristen and Mindy.

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National Wheelchair Basketball Association

NEWSLEnER OUke of ttte Convni ..... ' • "1 S .. ton BuIlding • Unl.,.,.ltx of Kenludly • L.xlngton, KY .....

Vol. XIX March 27. 1990 Number 7

1990 SECTIONAL TOURNAMENTS RESULTS

SOUTHERN: Dallas. Texas MUSIC CITY 76, DALLAS MAVERICKS 63

Music City Lightning. defending national champions . and ranked third, used a strong pressing defe nse to head off an early challenge by the host Dallas Texans to quell any hopes of the ir being upset by the 12th­ranked Mavericks. The half-time score was 32-29 in the Lightnings' favor. Ron Alsup led the Lightning with a 19-point performance. Mike Gabriel with a game-high 22, and Chris Cooper with 16, provided most of the offense for the Mavericks.

Music City dominated the inside game at both ends of the court with Reg Colton, Willy Buchanan, and Reg Goodman handling the rebounding chores .

The Lightning gained the final by disposing of a pesky Dallas Texan team, 79-60, while the Mavericks had their work cut out for them in getting by a never-say-die Alabama Rolling Tide, 58-50. The Tide came back to take the consoltation game with a 69-59 win over the Texans.

Selected to the All-Tourname nt Team were: Reg Goodman, Reg Colton, Hicks Watson, and Ron Alsup, Music City; and Mike Gabriel, Dallas .

MIDWEST: Minneapolis, Minnesota ARKANSAS 68, ALBERTA 58

Arkansas Rollin ' Razorbacks lived up to their pre-tournament ranking as the nation's number one team by easily disposing of the Alberta Northern Lights in the championship game of the Midwest Sectional played in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Razorbacks utilized their inside height to advantage, keeping the Northern Lights off the boards and forCing them to rely on their outside shooting . Dennis Johnson, Alvin Moore, and James Coughlin did most of the damage offensively as the Arkansans built up a 14-point half-time lead . Running into foul trouble early, the Northern Lights could not mount a sustained comback attempt. Pat

Griffen, the Northern Lights mainstay.

Grand Rapids took third place in the tournament with a convincing 76-60 win over the Toledo Silver Steaks.

The semi-final results were: Arkansas 68, Toledo 48; Alberta 53, Grand Rapids 45.

The tournament hosts limited their all-star selection to best-of-class : Class I, Darren Schenebeck, Arkansas; Class II, Tim Kazee, Arkansas; and Class III, Pat Griffen, Alberta.

FAR WEST: Claremont, California CASA COLINA 67, LOS ANGELES 62

The Far West Sectional Championship was returned to the Casa Colina Condors after a two-year hiatus when they defeated the Los Angeles Stars in a game that was closer than the score indicates. The half-time score was 33-31 in the Condors' favor after the Stars had built up an 8-point lead mid-way through the first half. The Condors forged ahead to their own 8-point lead at the 10 minute mark of the second half only to see the Stars close the gap to 3 with 5 minutes remaining when their top scorer, Felix Tapia, fouled ou t . Kiley was high scorer for Casa Colina.

The Condors reached the final via a 78-42 rout of the Long Beach Flying Wheels. The Stars made it on the strength of a tough win over Golden State 76ers, 79-68. In the tournament consolation game, Golden State handed the Flying Wheels a lop-sided 68-41 defeat.

The All-Tournament Team was made up of Mike Schlappi and Dave Kiley, Casa Colina; Felix Tapia and Darryn Brooks, Los Angeles; and Pete Sanchez, Golden State. The tournament MVP award went to LA's Tapia .

EASTERN: Baltimore, Maryland DETROIT 71, FRESNO 60

The Fresno Red Rollers' bid to earn a berth in the Final Four ended in Baltimore, Maryland when they were ousted by the Detroit Sparks, 71-60. The Red Rollers had

2

logged well over 40,000 miles this season in pursuit of their first crack at the national championship . The Sparks proved to have a little more speed and tournament acumen as they held on to win by 11 points . Maurice Phillips led the Sparks with 35 points while player- coach Denver Branum contributed 10 . Fresno's leading scorers were Fidel Fausto (23). and Sal Diaz (10).

The consolation game went to the New Jersey Blue Devils who upset the Twin City Spinners. 54-46. Earlier, Fresno advanced to the championship game with a 62-51 win over the Blue Devils, while Detroit used an 87 - 47 victory over the Spinners to do the same.

The All-Tournament Team was made up of: Class I: Arthur Humphery, Detroit, and Joey Bravo, New Jersey; Class II : Joe Sutika , Detroit, Raphael Iberm, Fresno, and Jeff Penner, Twin City; Class Ill: Ed Owen, Fresno, Jim Thomas, New Jersey, Ross Miller, Twin City, Darryl Waller and Maurice Phillips, Detroit. Ross Miller was awarded the Sportsmanship trophy, Phillips the MVP.

FINAL FOUR GAME OFFICIALS

The four officials selected from each of the sectionals to officiate in the Final Four. with their alternates, will be: Southern: Tony Gonzales, San Antonio, TX

Alt: Jack Higgins. Little Rock. AR

Midwest :

Far West:

Eastern :

Mark Nelsen, Sioux Falls. SD Alt: Tim Lawson, Little Rock, AR

Dave Gerletti, Pasadena, CA Alt: Bob Doty, Lakewood, CA

David Sontag. LaSalle, MI Alt: Willis Gibson, Brookline. MA.

EASTERN SECTIONAL PAIRINGS CHANGED

As the result of a protest registered by the Twin City Spinners, the Commissioner ruled that the pairing of teams in the Eastern Sectional involving Detroit and Twin City should be changed to the following:

Game I - Fresno vs. New Jersey Game II - Twin City vs. Detroit

The original pairings had Fresno playing Twin City and Detroit matched with New Jersey .

The change was made on the basis of an

interpretation that alters the guideline used for establishing the announced pairings . The original pairings were based on the precedent set in the past that teams from the same conference should not be matched in the opening round of a sectional tournament.

With the advent of the regional tournament concept and the ranking of all teams involved, pairings at the sectional level can be based on seeds derived from the rankings. Thus, it becomes immaterial whether or not teams come from the same conference.

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS .D1STRIBUTED

A copy of the 1989-90 Constitution and Bylaws is being sent to each conference officer, assistant commissioner, and team representative with this issue of the Newsletter as an aid to understanding the effect on proposed amendments which were circulated earlier.

LEGENDS GAME ON APRIL 6

The annual Legends Game will be played on Friday, Apri 6 at 2 : 00 pm . in Memorial Coliseum. Those p layers 45 years of age and older who wish to take part are asked to sign up on arrival at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Lexington. The coordinator for the game is Stan Labanowich.

PLAYER CONTESTS TO BE HELD AT SEATON CENTER

The 3-on- 3 and 3-point shooting contests will be held in the Seaton Center on the University of Kentucky campus on Saturday. April 7 beginning at 8:00 am.. Players interested in entering should do so at the NWBT registration table in the Radisson Plaza Hotel, which will be located on the second floor .

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