I had the distinct privilege of meeting Ryan Baker and Bill Lundstrom at the 2011 US Lacrosse Convention in Baltimore. I was captivated by their creation of Wheelchair Lacrosse and I stared at their promo video for a couple of minutes with my mouth hanging open. Ryan and Bill were tremendously excited talking about the details and rules of this new game and they were gracious enough to answer a few questions about Wheelchair Lacrosse. If you are interested in getting more information please contact Ryan or Bill at [email protected]. Now onto the interview!

How did Wheelchair Lacrosse start?

Wheelchair Lax began as a simple idea. We cannot play rugby because the level of our ‘disability’ is not severe enough. Rugby is for quadriplegics and guys that have limited used of the arms and hands. There is also basketball, but the truth is there are just a limited amount of options when it comes to competitive sports for us. We thought Lacrosse would be a great thing for us to first try and see how viable it could be. Turns out we are on to something really big and we couldn’t be more excited and anxious to see it grow all over the country and the world.

How did you get involved with wheelchair sports?

Ryan and Bill

When you suffer an injury like paralysis your entire world changes. Everything is different and you have to seek out the things that will keep you active and in shape. They cover sports in rehab when you are learning to live with the injury, but again, the options are limited. We want to create more opportunity for guys that are living and surviving with paralysis. After you get injured it is important to get plugged in to these sports programs, to build relationships with guys that are dealing with what you are dealing with. The disabled sports community is a good tight bunch or people, they just need to learn about this game and how it is possible from the chair as it does deserve a seat at the table of wheelchair sports.

What is the goal/mission of Wheelchair Lacrosse?

Our goal is to grow this nationally and see teams pop up all over the country.  We have interest from programs overseas as well. But the reality is we need to share what we are doing and how we are doing it to other disabled sports programs and get their athletes playing lacrosse, places like New York, Mass, Virginia, Florida, Maryland, Atlanta, Georgia, etc… It is difficult feeling like you are competing with other sports like basketball and ice hockey for athletes, but I am confident that once guys try it they will get the lacrosse bug, and it will grow. When we have enough teams to have a ‘Season’  we will most likely run opposite of basketball so those guys have something to do in the off season. The idea is to hold clinics and camps all over the country, giving these different disabled sports programs everything they need to start a program and build a team. We help them find places to play, help get them set up with equipment and rules and instruct them on how lacrosse works from a wheelchair.

How do you get out the word about Wheelchair Lacrosse?

Getting Open for a Pass

This is a great challenge for us, as is raising the money needed to spread the word about what we are doing. It is about educating the masses in our community about lacrosse and making sure people know that it can be an option for them as a sport. Reaching out not only to disabled sports programs, but getting help from places and organizations like Atlanta Youth Lacrosse, Adrenaline Lacrosse, South Swell Sports is crucial for our growth and exposure.

Can able-bodied players play Wheelchair Lacrosse?

The simple answer is yes. We have guys that come out to play with us now. High schoolers, and junior higher players, and other guys that coach lacrosse are involved in our program. We ultimately want to cater to disabled athletes, but we will take whatever we can get at this stage. Ideally, we wants this to be a sport for wheelchair guys, but it does not take much for people to participate in order to get numbers on the floor.

Since there are other wheelchair sports why did you choose to play lacrosse instead of basketball or rugby (or any other sport)?

The game is so great and we believe it is perfect for wheelchair athletes. The pace, the passing, it all comes together to create a great game for us. Basketball is great and we would never take anything away from that sport, we want people to play and participate in whatever they are interested in. For disabled athletes, just being involved is the most important thing. We just want to provide options for guys, giving them more choices than what is currently available as competitive sports. It also has the contact element that is appealing for us. There are other ‘contact’ team sports for paraplegics like ice hockey, and an adapted version of football. Lacrosse is a happy medium of these other aggressive and team oriented disabled sports. Lacrosse would be more difficult to play for a quad as they have limited strength and movement in the arms and hands. Lacrosse is team oriented and it is a combination of all the sports that we cannot play like soccer, polo…  It is also very similar to basketball, but again, it is new and we just need to give these guys that a chance to hold a stick and try LAX. We are confident they will take to it once they try it.

What has been the biggest challenge in creating a Wheelchair Lacrosse team?

The challenge comes in getting the word out and giving people the chance to try it and setting up these camps and clinics for players and coaches. We have to broaden our reach into different parts of the country and give it exposure to the guys that are really interested in trying it. We feel there is great opportunity for veterans to get involved as well. Our goal is to host a competitive tournament in the next 2 years where we would like to see at least 6 maybe 8 teams competing nation wide.

What has been the general reaction to people seeing Wheelchair Lacrosse for the first time?

Getting the Ground Ball

People love it and we are blown away by the reactions we are getting. It is a true blessing and we are amazed. It is great that we have the interest that we do at such an early stage, but now it comes down to getting lacrosse in the hands of these amazing disable athletes and truly growing it. We can have a million ‘likes’ on Facebook and a million followers on Twitter, but it doesn’t mean a thing if we cannot get people involved to grow this. It is also up to us to raise the money in order to travel, get gear and find places where teams and programs can play. We know that it will not happen over night, but we need participation from those that want to help us and eager to see lacrosse break in to this demographic.

Could you please talk about your own experiences as a disabled athlete. What were the major obstacles that you had to overcome both physical and mental?

Being disabled is not easy… that is a given. But life is not over. There are endless challenges for us and they stare us down everyday. We live in world that is not designed for us, and we are surrounded (everyday) by people that are doing things we will never do. This is why we feel it is so important for those that are living with a disability to get involved with other disabled people. It helps when you know that you’re not alone in it. There are other people out there living the same way, surviving everyday with their disability. It is a mental game as well, but it is important to understand that things are possible. We are not made of glass, and we have all the same desires as anyone else living their life, we want to raise and provide for our families, have a fulfilling jobs, meaningful relationships, stay in shape, eat right; we want to contribute. We want people to know that just because they are living with a disability they don’t have to get stuck in going through the motions of living life and getting by. We want them to feel like they are truly alive.

Finally, what words of encouragement do you have to young athletes who have been injured or were born physically disabled?

On the Slopes

Keep your head up. There are people that love you that care about you and want to see you succeed. Go beyond yourself and reach out. We feel that everyone has the ability to be inspirational, but what sets us apart is not always what we do, but how we go about doing it. We want people to know that they can make a difference. Everything you need is at your disposal, so it becomes knowing that you are capable and have the ability to be great. Also, I feel it is important to know that there is always someone out there dealing with something that is way harder, and it could be worse. Every time I feel like I have it bad, I think about those who are less fortunate than my self. That goes for able bodied people as well.  Just because people see us in a wheelchair and think, “I am so glad I do not have to deal with what you’re dealing with…” I say, really? Everyone has a cross to bear, and I don’t want to trade my life for yours. I don’t need your mortgage, your crazy family, your debt, your crazy job, etc… It is all equal, whether you believe it or not. I would encourage people to understand they can transcend their injury and be completely happy and content, regardless of their situation.

AYL thanks Ryan and Bill for taking the time to answer our questions and for bringing lacrosse into new and uncharted territory. We wish Wheelchair Lacrosse the best and are excited about the possibility of hosting a Wheelchair Lacrosse camp in the Summer. To our readers – if you would like to get involved (ask questions, donate, put on a camp) you may contact Ryan or Bill at www.wheelchairlacrosse.com or email them at [email protected].

Cheers,
Gordon