Rolling Falcons Basketball Team Places Fourth in National Tournament

Even though the Lincolnway Special Recreation Association Rolling Falcons didn't make it to the National Wheelchair Basketball Association championship game, the team watched the finals with the hopes of learning a few expert moves from the more experienced players.

"The guys really sat still and watched. They wanted to see what these other teams were doing and how they won," said Keith Wallace, LWSRA superintendent of recreation who accompanied the team on the trip, along with head coach Pete Mangelsdorf.

The Rolling Falcons earned a fourth place finish overall at the tournament, which ran April 7-10.

"They played awesome! They really played as a team," said LWSRA Executive Director Lana Graser, who also traveled to Colorado.

"Many people came up to us and said, 'You guys have come a long way in just teaching the skills the kids need,' " Wallace added.

However, both Wallace and Graser agreed that what happened off the court was as important as what happened on the court. According to Wallace, parents took advantage of the activities offered by the NWBA and its sponsors and got out and did things together with the other families during their stay.

"The kids were able to spend more time with each other and the parents were able to see other parents dealing with disabilities," Wallace said.

"One of the parents found out that he could travel with his boys and their wheelchairs. Now they can take family vacations," Graser added.

While the wheelchair basketball season officially ended with the Denver tournament, Wallace is gearing up for LWSRA's wheelchair softball program that runs during the summer. However, the basketball team will be back on the courts in the fall.

Parents of interested players can contact Wallace at (815) 464-2811 for more information.