Injured U.S. Soldiers learn from wheelchair basketball team at UT Arlington
ARLINGTON - About 30 U.S. Army soldiers injured in military combat will sharpen their wheelchair basketball skills Friday and Saturday, Dec. 10-11, at the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) workshop and tournament at The University of Texas at Arlington. The event is hosted by the Movin' Mavs, UT Arlington's elite wheelchair basketball team.
Through the tournament, soldiers from as far away as Hawaii and Great Britain will compete for a place on the Army's national wheelchair basketball team for the WTU Games next summer in Colorado. While the competition revolves around basketball, Mavs' Coach Doug Garner said the clinic and tournament are about much more.
"We are using sports as a way of helping people with disabilities to get back into other activities in life," he said.
In 2007, the Army created 35 warrior transition units at Army installations to provide critical support to wounded soldiers who are expected to require six months or more of rehabilitative care and their families. Garner said through programs like the Movin' Mavs, soldiers in transition are also encouraged to continue their college educations.
You can see the soldiers in action between 1-10 p.m. Friday and noon-6 p.m. Saturday. The All-Star game is at 6 p.m., with the WTU All-Stars playing the Movin' Mavs at 8 p.m. All games are in the indoor soccer gymnasium at the Maverick Activities Center, 500 W. Nedderman Drive. Visit this link for directions.
The Movin' Mavs play in their own tournament Saturday. They will face the Dallas Mavericks and Houston wheelchair teams at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. in the gym of the Physical Education Building, 801 Greek Row Drive. Visit this link for directions. Admission is free to all games. For more information about the Movin' Mavs, visit http://www.utamovinmavs.com.
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive undergraduate and graduate institution of nearly 33,000 students in the heart of North Texas. Visit www.uta.edu to learn more.
Media contact: Bridget Lewis, Blewis@uta.edu, 817-272-3317
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