Disability Pride Month wraps up with wheelchair lacrosse event
SU Disability Pride Month wraps up with wheelchair lacrosse
In the fifth and final event in the OrangeAbility series, CNY Adaptive Sports and the Syracuse University community gather for one final match.
On Saturday, CNY Adaptive Sports hosted its final event of Disability Pride Month at Syracuse University. A wheelchair lacrosse matchup took place in the basement of the Barnes Center, and everybody that participated had a blast. Just days earlier, Barnes hosted a wheelchair rugby match that included the club rugby teams. These types of events are what make the campus a special place.
“It is a beautiful campus, and I kind of regret not applying or touring,” said Dante Dibenedetto, a visitor from Cortland. “When I first got here, I noticed the grass, and all of the hills. I think it is beautiful, honestly.”
Even though Syracuse’s campus is spread out, the indoor court made sense for the game. It is not easy to move a wheelchair on grass, so the basement of Barnes was a solid alternative. SU’s club lacrosse team took part of the game. Some professors showed up to join in on the fun; one of which was Jason Webb.
Webb teaches most of the advanced visual electives at Newhouse, but he has also taught the basics, like COM 100. It was no surprise that he made an appearance to try out the adaptive way of his favorite sport. After trying it out, he stated that he would merge this with a future COM 100 class.
“Can we do both at the same time?” Webb joked, “I think we need to make that an option next year. It is hard to compare. I love teaching, I love playing lacrosse. Being able to coach, and do both of those things at the same time, even better!”
The event started with passing practice. Each player learned how to control the stick, and the wheelchair simultaneously. Then everyone learned how to possess the ball. After some more passing and shooting, the game began.
The event came with the usual snacks. The athletes consumed the available pizza and water. After a second game, the wheelchair lacrosse showcase came to a close. It was another successful outing for CNY Adaptive Sports, and they plan to return next semester.
“The other piece we are thinking about at Syracuse is Wheelchair Football,” said Norm Page, the President of Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports who made an appearance. “We have it with the Buffalo Bills Wheelchair Football team, and we would like to see one of those in Syracuse with the football culture it currently has in place.”
