Wheelchair Ball for ALL Friday evenings in June and July leading up to the big tournament.
Come try it out with family, friends and co-workers at these FREE fun events at the YMCA Cage Court on the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.
Details and Dates
As a result of your team’s dedication to fundraising, you will pick an All-Star to join your team at the August Madness DRAFT on Sunday August 18. This is an fun evening celebrating Bridge II Sports and ramping up the excitement on the eve of tournament day.
All Stars will include NBA legends, elite wheelchair players and local celebrities.
Bid on-line from ANYWHERE in the 2019 August Madness Silent Auction!
We’ll have an incredible range of items available from autographed memorabilia to event tickets to experiences at local attractions/restaurants and more!
The Auction will open in August and run through the end of tournament day on Monday August 19th.
THE BIG DAY!
Teams will take the court in PNC Arena on August 19 for good-spirited competition in pursuit of the August Madness Trophy!
Each team is guaranteed 3 games with the possiblity of moving on in the brackets.
A day of community, teamwork and breaking barriers all while supporting an incredible organization.
Why Basketball?
Everyone has had that rush of making a basket, setting up the perfect play on the court or cheering on your favorite team. Our goal is to take something you know and love and show you that it can be just as challenging, fun and exciting sitting down as it is standing up. In wheelchair basketball, the sport wheelchair is the great equalizer allowing everyone to play. We’ve got the wheelchairs, ball, and hoops…now we need you and your friends, co-workers and families to get on the court and make this event a success!
What is Wheelchair Basketball?
Although we play for fun, bragging rights and a good cause at August Madness the competitive sport of wheelchair basketball is the real deal.
Wheelchair basketball has come a long way since first being played by wounded US WWII Veterans in 1946 during their rehab hospital stays. Today there are 82 National Organizations for Wheelchair Basketball in the world and over 200 competitive teams in the United States alone. It is played by boys, girls, men and women from Juniors divisions to intercollegiate play to elite adult teams.
Wheelchair basketball is part of the Paralympic Games that take place every 4 years in the same city and venues 2 weeks after the Olympic Games (Fun fact- The ‘Para’ in Paralympics stands for’ parallel’, not ‘paralyzed’)
To qualify to play competitive wheelchair basketball a person must have a permanent physical disability to their lower extremities.
Bridge II Sports is proud to have a competitive Juniors team — BIIS Team PRIDE, provide weekly wheelchair basketball programs, and host regional juniors tournaments with over 20 teams nationwide competing. It is our goal to start a collegiate wheelchair program right here in North Carolina. To date, the closest to NC is in Alabama.
How is Wheelchair Basketball different from the Basketball you know?
Actually, wheelchair basketball is much more similar than it is different to ‘stand up basketball’. It’s played on 10-foot hoops, 5 on 5, 2 pointers, 3 pointers, fouls…you even have to dribble. Every two times you push your chair you must pass, bounce or shoot the ball before touching the wheels again.