Photos: Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

Cary, NC — Cary’s 2nd Annual Wheelchair Basketball Tournament took place last week on Sunday, March 8, 2015 at the Bond Park Community Center. CaryCitizen contributor Dave Gill had some fun taking photos at the game, and we contacted Judy Newsome, the Town’s Specialized Recreation & Inclusion Specialist, to find out more about the event.

Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

This year’s 2nd annual tournament was made possible through a partnership between the Town of Cary and two nonprofits–Endless Sports and Bridge II Sports. The event took place on Sunday, March 8, 2015 from 1-5 pm at Bond Park.

The family-friendly wheelchair basketball game stands out in that it features kids of all physical abilities–Newsome told us that wheelchair basketball is one of the few Paralympic sports where both able-bodied athletes and athletes with disabilities can compete together.

The tournament, which is now an annual event, encourages awareness of the obstacles athletes with physical disabilities encounter–and it demonstrates all they can do.

Endless Sports

Endless Sports, a nonprofit organization, was founded a year and a half ago by young athletes who didn’t want to imagine a world where kids couldn’t participate in sports because of too many obstacles. That’s the mission of Endless Sports–to overcome obstacles so that all kids, regardless of disability or lower income, can participate in sports and fitness activities and to provide all athletes with a chance to support each other.

One of the founders, Ryan Stines, is a middle school kid that lives to play sports. When his parents challenged him to find a way to give back to his community, the answer was obvious to him–form a club or organization that would make sure that all kids could feel the same joy he did.

He chose the name “Endless Sports,” because he said the game should never end for any kid. In just over a year, over 100 kids and families have helped raise awareness, funds, and equipment to support local programs for disabled and disadvantaged athletes through Endless Sports.