The Women’s NCAA Tournament Championship on Sunday will feature an eight-minute scrimmage between Team USA women’s wheelchair basketball team and a team of college all-stars at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. This exhibition is part of the joint U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee/NCAA Para-College Inclusion Project, which aims to increase awareness of Paralympic sports and engage schools with adaptive sports.
Courtney Ryan, a Paralympic bronze medalist and member of the U.S. team for Paris, expressed excitement about the opportunity to showcase women’s wheelchair basketball at the NCAA D1 Women’s Final Four. As an assistant coach at the Univ. of Arizona, Ryan emphasized the importance of visibility and inclusion for Paralympic athletes. Sharing the stage with NCAA athletes is seen as a significant step towards gaining respect and awareness for wheelchair basketball.
The project will also feature several other initiatives aimed at promoting adaptive sports. The national collegiate singles wheelchair tennis championship will be held during the Division I singles championship in May, while the national collegiate wheelchair championships in the 100 meters will take place during the Division I outdoor track and field championships in June.
In addition to these events, the USOPC and NCAA plan to launch a hub for adaptive sport athletes, providing information targeted at high school athletes and college administrators to help grow Paralympic sports. This initiative aims to increase understanding and awareness of adaptive sports and promote inclusivity within the athletic community.
