Wheelchair team gathers for basketball and camaraderie

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Every Wednesday, members of the New York Rollin’ Knicks wheelchair basketball team gather at the West Bronx Recreation Center to practice with members of the community. Most people who participate are interested in trying out for the team.

“The skill level is high,” said Faizool Ali, the second longest-tenured Rollin’ Knicks player.

Mr. Ali is looking to help grow the sport through his program, Ali Adaptive Sports and Fitness.

“I’m at a point where I’m committing my life to this sport,” he said.

The game, however, is more than about winning to these men, as they meet and play with people who face similar difficulties in life as they do.

“[For] guys like me, its the friendship and camaraderie of people with disabilities,” Mr.  Ali said. “[For] those of us that want to give back … this is the mission.”

The opportunity for players with disabilities to go where they will fit in is just as important as the sport itself, players said.

“It’s always nice to be able to have your friends that have been through similar situations,” Mr. Ali said. “We may not have the same disability… but our lives were changed.”

Those who play professionally, like Ryan Martin, are just looking for some practice and a workout. 

“This team represents [one] of the best collections of players in the northeast,” he said. “It’s a great team … they have a tremendously talented core, and it’s a great summer workout.”

Mr. Martin has been in a wheelchair for nearly his whole life, after getting both his legs amputated at age 2. He has played professionally in Spain and France, and is the founder of the Ryan Martin Foundation.

“This is the only life that I know,” he said. “For me, it’s more important to give back to the game, especially since I’ve been able to play overseas and play professionally for so long, and I know what wheelchair basketball and adaptive sports have done for my life.”

Carlos Pijuan, who plays professionally in Florida, has been attending the open gym while he is on vacation.

“It’s an outlet for us,” he said.

Mr. Pijuan has been playing for the past five years. He recently got a scholarship to play for the University of Arizona.

“I know that there are some high-level athletes out here who can push me and teach me,” he said. “I live for this.”

The New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden sponsor the Rollin’ Knicks. The team won the National Wheelchair Basketball Association championship in 2014.

New York Rollin Knicks, Faizool Ali, Daniel Chavkin

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