Deep in the University of Iowa Fieldhouse, two teams of five players took the basketball court by storm. The crowd buzzed with excitement while players learned to adapt to the game.
Jenna Schweizer, a second-year UI doctor of physical therapy student, hosted wheelchair basketball to raise funding for Adaptive Sports Iowa.
Adaptive Sports Iowa is an organization based out of Cedar Rapids that provides sports and recreational opportunities for Iowans with physical disabilities.
The event on Friday was sponsored by local restaurants and stores from Eastern Iowa, who provided gift cards, cash, food, or prizes. Caitlin Clark merchandise was provided to the winners of the silent auction.
“[The goal is to] educate the spectators on what it looks like to play sports at this level,” Schweizer said. “And for the youth, the individuals themselves, the opportunity for them to get a spotlight, show off their skills and what they’ve kind of worked so hard at throughout their season.”
Hannah Bowman, the director of Adaptive Sports Iowa, hopes to bring awareness to adaptive sports and wheelchair basketball, since some of the team has just come from the national tournament, and some have never played before.
“The main thing tonight is to have fun and raise some money so we’re able to help support our programs that we have going on,” Bowman said.
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Wheelchair basketball is one of Adaptive Sports Iowa’s main programs, but they also offer programs in six to eight other sports throughout the state, such as track and tennis.
Bowman was most excited to see the camaraderie and competition between the participants, as well as hear the laughter flood the gym with joy.
Wheelchair basketball has been a tradition at the university for about 35 years, and one player, AJ Fitzpatrick, went on to win gold at the Olympics.
Players do not need to be wheelchair-bound but must have a physical impairment. Each player receives a rating based on their level of disability, and teams must stay within a maximum combined point total on the court.
Higher-functioning players have higher ratings, while others are rated lower, sometimes with decimals. This system promotes balanced teams and strategic play, emphasizing roles beyond athletic ability, such as blocking, passing, and positioning.
Nick Dolezal, Iowa Grizzlies coach, was interested to see the realization of challenges across the court, what the players would expect to be easy, and what is difficult.
“There’s a lot of strategy involved,” Dolezal said.