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Wheelchair Basketball Canada is proud to announce that Tim Frick, former head coach of the Canadian Sr. Women’s National Team, will be inducted...
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Wheelchair Basketball Canada is proud to announce that Tim Frick, former head coach of the Canadian Sr. Women’s National Team, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of his exceptional career and outstanding contributions to the sport of wheelchair basketball.
“I am deeply honoured, humbled, and overcome with emotion,” said Frick. “I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the great experience that wheelchair basketball has given me. Just the thought of any of the amazing athletes, coaches, staff members and supporters who have been so influential in my life brings a tear to my eye.”
“Tim has been an invaluable asset to the wheelchair basketball community for more than 30 years as a coach, mentor and builder,” said Wheelchair Basketball Canada Executive Director Wendy Gittens. “He will forever be known as one of the greatest wheelchair basketball coaches of all-time, not only within Canada, but worldwide.”
Frick, a native of Parksville, BC, served as the lead bench boss of the Team Canada Women from 1990-2009. In that time, he led Canada to an astounding decade-long undefeated streak in major international competition, as well as an unprecedented three consecutive Paralympic gold medals (1992, 1996, 2000) and four consecutive World Championship titles (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006).
Renowned for his coaching strategies both on and off the court, Frick’s tutelage solidified Team Canada as one of the most dominant teams in the history of Canadian amateur sports. His induction into the Wheelchair Basketball Canada Hall of Fame is the latest addition to an extensive list of accolades, which includes the Coaching Association of Canada’s Geoff Gowan Award, Coaches of Canada Jack Donohue Award and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. For more information, visit: www.wheelchairbasketball.ca
(Photo Wheelchair Basketball Canada / Bogetti-Smith Photography)
Canadian wheelchair basketball is renowned for its tenacity. Canada is a world-leading nation. A perennial contender fuelled by an unparalleled legacy. In 2012, elite talent compliments distinguished wisdom in pursuit of the podium. United by an unmistakable desire, Team Canada’s vision for the London Paralympic Games is uncompromising.
Discover the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Wheelchair Basketball teams, learn about their distinctive passion, and find out why their trade is counted amongst the most recognizable and highly contested competitions in the world. Join Team Canada on the last leg of a journey four years in the making. Golden glory summons all nations and come time Canada intends to once again answer the call.
“London Calling” is an eight-part video series that takes an in-depth look at Team Canada, re-visits the winning history of Canadian wheelchair basketball at the Paralympic Games, profiles the evolution of the sport, and previews the highly-anticipated, hard-hitting competition set to unfold in London this summer.
“The London Paralympic Summer Games is the pinnacle of our quadrennial and encompasses what every high performance athlete strives for. This video series is designed to generate some excitement and showcase our athletes and coaches in a way that hasn’t been done before. We feel the teams deserve a lot of credit for their tireless efforts and dedication and we are privileged to share their stories to a wide audience,” said Wheelchair Basketball Canada Executive Director Wendy Gittens.
The two-part series debut looks at the cast of elite athletes that will compete for the Canadian Men’s and Women’s National Teams in 2012. (See the video player)
Wheelchair Basketball Canada will unveil the remaining videos in the series over the coming months as the countdown continues toward the Paralympic Games, which take place August 29th to September 9th, 2012.
London Calling Video Release Schedule:
· February 2012: Part I - Men’s Roster Breakdown & Part II Women’s Roster Breakdown
· March 2012: Part III - Canada’s Winning History at the Paralympics
· April 2012: Part IV – A Look at Centralization
· May 2012: Part V - A Wheelchair Basketball Retrospective
· June 2012: Part VI – Women’s Teams: Canada & the Competition
· July 2012: Part VII – Men’s Teams: Canada & Competition
· August 2012: Part VIII - London Calling Promo Video
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) has launched a new video entitled Introduction to the IWBF Player Classification System. The video is designed to be a international classification resource and it is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
The classification of wheelchair basketball players has evolved significantly over the past 20 years. No longer is it necessary to individually examine each player in a medical room.
Players are now classified in their playing environment, on the basketball court and in their playing chair. This enables the classifier to assess each player, as they will be when taking part in actual competitions.
Click here for a introduction video on classification.
Wheelchair Basketball Canada extends its warmest congratulations to executive director Wendy Gittens, on being named to the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity’s (CAAWS) most influential women’s list for 2011.
The list identifies women who are leaders and role models that make a difference on the Canadian or international scene and who contributed in a significant way to sport and physical activity in 2011.“Wendy has always been a remarkable leader who stresses the importance of gender equity as she guides the development of our relatively young sport,” said Steve Bach, Wheelchair Basketball Canada President. “She is certainly a tremendous champion for women’s involvement in wheelchair basketball as evidenced by her strong dedication to increasing opportunity and growth in the women’s game across the country.”
Gittens led change in 2011 with the highly successful first ever U25 Women’s World Wheelchair Basketball Championships. This International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) event, in partnership with Brock University, was a landmark competition for the sport of wheelchair basketball and female athletes. It united elite competition for female wheelchair-basketball athletes in the under-25 age category for the first time in the world.
In the backdrop of the inaugural Championship, the Futures Program was a landmark initiative designed to encourage young female wheelchair basketball players to continue to learn and grow within the sport as an athlete, coach or administrator. Gittens can be credited with leading a team that ensured that participating athletes from five continents would be delivered the highest standard.
For more information, visit: www.wheelchairbasketball.ca
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is pleased to announce the pool of 26 athletes selected to represent Canada in 2012 as the Senior Men’s and Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball Teams prepare for the London Paralympic Games.
“We want to reestablish Canada as the world leader in wheelchair basketball, and we are confident in the talented teams our coaches have assembled. With the ongoing support of our key partners Own the Podium and the Canadian Paralympic Committee we are poised for success in 2012 and beyond,” said Wheelchair Basketball Canada high performance director Paul Zachau.
The senior men’s team is the defending Paralympic silver medalists, and is looking for their third gold medal and fourth consecutive podium finish in London. “Our goal is to win the gold in London and to do that we’ve got competitions lined up against the best teams in the world - definitely all top five teams. And we plan on pushing our athletes a lot harder over the next eight months in terms of fitness and tactical preparation,” said men’s head coach Jerry Tonello.
The senior women’s team last medaled at the Paralympics in 2004 where they took home bronze (their fourth consecutive Paralympic podium finish which included an unprecedented three consecutive gold finishes in 1992, 1996, and 2000). “We have a good mix of experienced players and less experienced players that are really hungry to win,” said women’s head coach Bill Johnson. “We are really confident we are on the right path and we are going to bring home the gold medal,” said Johnson.
For more information, visit: www.wheelchairbasketball.ca
Guadalajara, MX – The Canadian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team seized the silver medal at the 2011 Parapan American Games after a 69-31 loss to rival USA in the championship game. Both teams guaranteed themselves a spot at the London 2012 Paralympic Summer Games courtesy of top-three finishes in Guadalajara.
“It’s unfortunate that tonight we didn’t bring our A-game, but I think we are continuing to build and I think we have some pretty aggressive plans for the next year to build toward a gold medal in London,” said Team Canada Head Coach Bill Johnson. “We always said it’s a process and we have been building toward it.”
Cindy Ouellet (Quebec, QC) scored a game-leading 17 points for the Canadians, while teammate Janet McLachlan (West Vancouver, BC) tallied eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Canada concluded the tournament with a 4-1 record and reached the podium for the fourth time in four appearances at the Parapan American Games, following gold medal finishes in1999 and 2003, and a silver medal in 2007. “This tournament was a great opportunity to test ourselves out, to try out some new things, and see where we are, and honestly we are in a good place. This was a great opportunity and we are going to build from here,” said Team Canada athlete Tracey Ferguson (Toronto, ON). “We have 10 months of preparation and we are focused, we know exactly what we have to do, and I think these games give us that motivation to play, and to train and to practice that much harder.”
Guadalajara, MX – The Canadian Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team will compete in London at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games following a 60-42 bronze medal victory over hometown Mexico at the 2011 Parapan American Games.
“We had to feel pressure. It was a must-win game,” said Jerry Tonello Team Canada Head Coach. “You don’t get a chance to replicate that too often in your career, in secondary tournaments. You do at Paralympics and at other major games, but to have this situation here is priceless, one that I don’t want to have to go through too often.”
Patrick Anderson (Fergus, ON) was the game’s high scorer with 27 points and 12 rebounds. He has been an offensive juggernaut for the Canucks, averaging a tournament leading 22.8 points per game. David Eng (Montreal, QC) potted the game’s second highest tally with 16 points. He also added 12 rebounds.
The bronze medal is Canada’s fourth consecutive podium appearance the Parapan American Games having finished first in 2003 and second in 1999 and 2007. With the top three men’s teams in the tournament earning a berth into the Paralympics it was a must win for Canada who started the tournament 4-0 before losing a shocker to Colombia in the semi-finals.
“Ultimately, we are satisfied. We will need to do a little bit of soul searching, find out what when wrong, that will only help us. When you lose a game like that, you can’t focus on the loss. You have to remember how good you are and focus on the next step,” said Anderson.
For more information, visit: www.wheelchairbasketball.ca.
In celebration of the first-ever 2011 Women’s U25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships, event co-hosts Wheelchair Basketball Canada and Brock University are proud to unveil a commercial to fund a scholarship award for St. Catharines teen Dino Sabic.
The commercial features Team Canada athlete Cindy Ouellet. For each view the commercial generates, Affinity Productions, Pym & Cooper and other community supporters pledge to donate $1 to the scholarship fund. They will contribute up to $1000 towards Sabic’s studies at Brock University beginning this fall.
On July 3, 2010, the day following his high school prom, Sabic struck his head while diving into a pool and fractured his C7 vertebrae. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Twelve months later, he continues to forge ahead on his road to recovery and he hopes to walk again one day.
As the ambassador for Team Canada at the U25WWBC, Sabic led the team onto the court during the tournament’s opening ceremony and will participate in team activities throughout the week. An avid athlete himself, he will have the opportunity to share his story and learn from the competitors at the tournament.
To help support Sabic, you can watch the commercial online through the official event website at http://www.u25wwbc.com/u25-hub/featured-videos.
The event organizers also unveiled commercials featuring Team Canada athletes Jamey Jewells and Maude Jacques. All three videos are on the tournament website and will also air on TVCogeco. In addition to competing for the Canadian U25 squad, Ouellet, Jewells and Jacques are also members of the Sr. Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team.
For your chance to see Sabic and Team Canada in person, you can purchase tickets to the U25WWBC at the door. The tournament runs July 15-21, 2011 at Brock University in St. Catharines, ON and features competition from eight international teams: Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and the United States.
Tickets are now available for the inaugural 2011 Women’s U25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships as event organizers unveil the official event website at www.u25wwbc.com.
“Our website, live streaming, and social media platformswill serve to connect hundreds of athletes, coaches, and volunteers from around the globe. It will bring together lifelong fans and newcomers to the sport. This is something we very excited about,” said Event Co-Chair Wendy Gittens.
Spectators, fans, and sports enthusiasts are all invited to attend the international tournament that is taking place at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario from July 15th to the 21st, where they will be treated to all of the speed, skill, and athleticism that make wheelchair basketball a truly unique spectator sport.
Tickets are being sold online in two formats: individual session tickets and tournament passes at: http://www.u25wwbc.com/tickets/buy-tickets/.
$10 Individual session ticketsgrant access to two games in either a morning or afternoon/evening session.
$40 Tournament passesgrant access to all of the games at the competition. A limited number of tournament passes are available.
Fans are invited to take advantage of special early bird pricing as individual session tickets will be on sale for $8 and tournament passes will be on sale for $35 until June 22, 2011 (or while quantities last).
“We encourage the public to get their tickets early and secure their spot at what promises to be an eye opening experience for many,” said Gittens.
“For the first time in the history of our sport we get to showcase the talents of these elite young female wheelchair basketball athletes in a world-class championship. We will welcome participants from Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, and the United States for a truly a historic tournament and we couldn’t be prouder to host it in our own backyard,” said Gittens.
The tournament website will act as the primary source to access the latest news, event information, ticketing, team rosters, schedules and game results. It features a comprehensive social media hub with exclusive access to videos, photo galleries, contests, polls, and athlete blogs.
Website Highlights:
- Official tournament Facebook & Twitter feeds
- Live game webcasts
- Live score updates & daily game recaps
- Daily photo & video galleries
- Online ticket sales
For more information, visit www.u25wwbc.com.
About the 2011 U25WWBC
The first-ever Women's U25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships is a milestone event in the ongoing growth of wheelchair basketball around the globe and forges a legacy of unprecedented opportunity for young women in sport. The tournament features teams from Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and the United States. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation event is co-hosted by Wheelchair Basketball Canada and Brock University.
The tournament is brought to you in part by Sport Canada, the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, 49 Bespoke and Visit St. Catharines. For a complete list of sponsors, please visit the website.
About Wheelchair Basketball Canada
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sports governing body responsible for the organization of wheelchair basketball in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization that is the Canadian member to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF).
Wheelchair basketball is a fast paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport that has emerged as one of the most competitive and athletic sports played at the Paralympic Games. Our senior national teams are held in high esteem around the world for the elite skill and control that placed them on the podium with a combined five gold and one silver medal in the last five Paralympic Games. Visit: www.wheelchairbasketball.ca for more information.
For more information or to schedule an interview contact:
Jody Kingsbury, Manager, Communications & Media Relations, Wheelchair Basketball Canada; T: 613-260-1296 ext. 204, C: 613-851-2337; jkingsbury@wheelchairbasketball.ca
Courtney Pollock, Communications & Media Relations Assistant, Wheelchair Basketball Canada; T: 613-260-1296 ext. 200; cpollock@wheelchairbasketball.ca
On the web: u25wwbc.com
Facebook: facebook.com/u25wwbc
(St. Catharines, ON) Wheelchair Basketball Canada is currently recruiting volunteers for the 2011 Women’s Under 25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships, which will be held at Brock University in St. Catharine’s, Ontario from July 15th to the 21st. The event, which features the top eight women’s junior wheelchair basketball teams from around the world, will require about 150 volunteers and the local organizing committee is counting on local residents to get involved.
“One of the reasons we chose to host the event at Brock University is because the St. Catharines area has a reputation for having a very supportive, active population,” said Event Co-Chair Wendy Gittens. “We’re hoping that residents will really get behind the event in a big way.”
The volunteer experience will provide an opportunity for personal growth and development, networking and social interaction with others from around the world. Volunteers can choose from a variety of positions to match their interests including:
- Information and Hospitality Services
- Media Services
- Transportation Services
- Venue Services
“This is the sort of event that everyone from students to seniors can participate in,” said Gittens. “You don’t even have to know anything about wheelchair basketball. If you’ve got enthusiasm and a willingness to help our athletes have a world-class experience, we can find a place for you.”
Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older. Shifts will run from July 9th to July 22nd and will be approximately six hours in length. For more information or to register, please [click here].
Longueuil, QC – Team Quebec captured its first-ever National Championship title in front of a loud hometown crowd with a tight 49-46 defeat over the Edmonton Inferno in the final game at the 2011 Women’s CWBL National Championships in Longueuil, QC. Led by tournament MVP and Women’s U25 National Team standout Cindy Ouellet, Quebec held on to the three-point lead in the final seconds of the game despite a spirited comeback attempt by the Inferno.
Quebec started the game with intensity and seized the momentum early. The team established a 15-9 lead after the first frame and with further execution at both ends of the court, Quebec entered the fourth quarter with a 41-29 advantage. The Inferno showed no signs of quitting and stormed back in the final frame. Edmonton went on a 12-4 run to climb within reach (45-41) on the scoreboard with just over three minutes left to play. The Inferno pulled within three points with less than a minute left on the clock, but Quebec stemmed the tide and held on for the victory.
“It was a really good game. The intensity was really good the whole way. We had a couple minutes here and there that were a little bit down, but generally, it went pretty well,” said Ouellet.Quebec captured the gold for the first time following several other podium finishes at the tournament in years past.
“Obviously, we are really proud of ourselves. We played as a team and the 10 of all played. It was awesome. I’ve been on the team for three years and I’m excited I finally won gold,” said Ouellet.
“I think the future is very bright for us. We have had trouble in the past with playoffs and keeping our emotions together. This year I think Team Quebec stepped it up,” said Quebec Head Coach Jason Eng.
Edmonton played a strong game and fell just shy of completing the comeback in the final quarter.
“We knew that Quebec would go on a run and if we could ride that tide over the run we knew we could come back. We just knew it was a game of momentum and if we executed our game plan we would be in the game, and that’s exactly what happened until the end of the game,” said Inferno player and tournament all-star Karla Tritten.
Tournament all-star Gabrielle Cote scored a game-high 25 points for Quebec. Ouellet added 14 points of her own in the win.
Tritten, a former member of the Sr. Women’s National Team, tallied a team-leading 16 points and 11 rebounds to earn the double-double for Edmonton.
Bronze Medal Game
Earlier in the day, the Calgary Rollers upset the defending champion BC Breakers to claim the bronze medal by a score of 53-44. The Breakers led on the scoreboard for the first two frames but Calgary completed the comeback in the final half of the tight, hard-fought game. Tournament all-star Kendra Ohama scored 13 points for the Rollers in the victory while her Team Canada teammate Elisha Williams led the Breakers in scoring with 14 points.
2011 Women’s CWBL National Championships – Final Results: Gold – Quebec, Silver – Edmonton Inferno, Bronze – Calgary Rollers, 4th Place – British Columbia, Breakers, 5th Place – U25, 6th Place – Ontario, 7th Place – Ottawa Phoenix
MVP: Cindy Ouellet - Quebec
All-Stars: Elaine Allard – Quebec, Gabrielle Cote – Quebec, Katie Harnock – Ontario, Kendra Ohama – Calgary Rollers, Karla Tritten – Edmonton Inferno,
Longueuil, QC – Team British Columbia won a fifth consecutive National Championship title by conquering rival Ontario 58-53 in the final game at the 2011 National Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Longueuil, QC.
Both teams came out strong and BC held a slight 12-11 edge on the scoreboard at the end of the opening frame. BC extended the lead to 24-18 at the conclusion of the defensively stingy first half.
The teams put the pieces together offensively in the third quarter, as the sharp shooters from Ontario outscored their BC counterparts 17-16 in the frame. Despite the offensive push by Ontario, BC held the 40-35 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Ontario overcame the deficit in the final frame, as Adam Lancia dropped a basket from beyond the arc to give Ontario a 47-46 lead with under five minutes to go. The teams then traded the lead back-and-forth and the heated contest stood at a 52-52 deadlock with 2:40 left in the game. BC pulled ahead to a 56-53 lead with one minute left on the clock before Richard Peter and all-star Bo Hedges each added a basket from the free throw line to seal the victory.
"As long as we keep getting solid contributions from our young guys coming in and the veterans keep playing at the same level hopefully we can keep the streak going. The same core group guys have been playing together for 10 years which really helps,” said BC’s Hedges.
"We knew BC was going to come out and really go hard like they did in the round-robin - typical British Columbia basketball. They are quick, aggressive with the chair, they have good outside shooting, and good finishing inside. And that's what they did that this afternoon. They rocked us back on our heels a little bit. Their press worked a little bit better than it did in the round robin and they played a little cleaner. A lot of their guys picked up early fouls in the round robin which helped us out last time, but this game they were a lot cleaner or the refs were letting a lot more go, but either way we didn't get that edge this time,” said Lancia.
Hedges and Peter, both members of the Sr. Men’s National Team, led BC in scoring with 17 and 15 points, respectively. Team Canada teammate Lancia dropped a game-high 27 points for Ontario and was named the tournament MVP.
The teams collided in the championship game for the second straight year with BC prevailing once again.
Bronze Medal Game
Earlier in the day, host Quebec won a second consecutive bronze medal in a decisive 74-38 win over Alberta. Quebec dominated on both sides of the ball and received a 28-point contribution from the bench. Montreal native David Eng scored a game-high 18 points and 16 rebounds to pick up the double-double for Quebec. Chad Jassman tallied a team-leading 14 points for Alberta, which finished in fourth place following a string of fifth place results in six of the last seven National Championships. Eng and Jassman each earned tournament all-star honours.
2011 National Championships, Final Results: Gold – British Columbia, Silver – Ontario, Bronze – Quebec, 4th Place – Alberta, 5th Place – Nova Scotia
MVP: Adam Lancia – Ontario
All-Stars: Abdi Dini - Ontari, David Eng – Quebec, Eric Hagreen – British Columbia, Bo Hedges – British Columbia, Chad Jassman – Alberta
Wheelchair Basketball Canada and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) are pleased to announce the competition groups and game schedule for the inaugural Women’s U25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships taking place at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ont., July 15-21, 2011.
Canada’s first-ever Women’s U25 National Team will compete in Pool B along with Germany, Japan and South Africa. National teams from Australia, Great Britain, Mexico and the United States will compete in Pool A.
“The organizers did an excellent job and I am very pleased with how the draw unfolded,” said IWBF President Maureen Orchard. “We can see from the results that we will have two very strong groups of teams, which will make for a very competitive tournament.”
Preliminary round competition runs July 15-17, 2011. The bronze and gold medal games are set for Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 4:45 p.m. (EDT) and 7 p.m. (EDT), respectively. All games during the Women’s U25 World Championships will be webcast live via the tournament website at www.u25wwbc.com.
For the complete game schedule please visit www.u25wwbc.com.
The first-ever Women's U25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships is a milestone event in the ongoing growth of wheelchair basketball around the globe and forges a legacy of unprecedented opportunity for young women in sport.
On the web: u25wwbc.com
Facebook: facebook.com/u25wwbc
Twitter: #u25wwbc
YouTube: youtube.com/WheelchairBball
Wheelchair Basketball Canada recently announced the names of its major award winners and Hall of Fame inductees at the 2011 National Championship in Longueuil, QC.
Sr. Women’s National Team athlete Janet McLachlan and Team Ontario standout Dayton Sopha were named Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s Athletes of the Year, Shayne Smith was awarded the Junior Athlete of the Year, while Joe Higgins was honoured with the Leadership Excellence Award and Ross MacDonald received the True Sport Award.
Former Sr. Women’s National Team players Danielle Peers and Linda Kutrowski were inducted into the Wheelchair Basketball Canada Hall of Fame in recognition of their outstanding achievements on and off the court within the wheelchair basketball community.
These individuals exemplify fair play and sportsmanship while committing to values of inclusion. They are leaders in their communities; positive role models and they display superior performance in their respective disciplines. These awards are the membership’s opportunity to nominate and recognize individuals for their contributions within their respective communities.
Click here to learn more about each award winner.
