National Wheelchair Basketball Association NEWSLETTER Offlu of the Co.. _, 'uM"., Lexington, KY 40501 Volume XXX Number 5 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT strike an agreement with local wheelchair basketball organizations in communities where In an earlier Newsletter, it was reported that a national fundraising event is proposed? Comnrissioner Stan Labanowich and J had traveled to Montreal, Quebec to discuss the These are questions which the Executive possibility of Canada, Inc.. a successful Committee will strive to settle during the telemarketing firm for two organizations for annual meeting. We invite comments. the disabled I entering the U. S. to raise funds suggestions. and recommendations trom the for the NWBA. Mentioned at the time was that membership. if it were agreed to. the campaign would begin in the state of Massachussetts. Quite Marvin Lapicola, Presiden t unexpectedly. an objection was immediately raised by the Boston Mustangs on the INFORMATION AND MATERIALS AVAILABLE grounds that a nationaJ campaign would interfere with local fundraising efforts, and a Each team, conference, assistant mutually agreeable arrangement would have to commissioner, and conference officer has been be worked out before such a project should sent a copy of: (1) the 1990-91 minutes of the begin. In the meantime, Canada, tnc. annual meeting, (2) the NWBA Constitution discovered that the laws in Massachussets and Bylaws, and (3) the annual Directory In would make it difficult to raise funds in the earlier mailings. If anyone receiving the same way as in Quebec, so a decision was Newsletter has not recejved copies, please let made to undertake a market test elsewhere. the Commissioner's Office know. At this point, no contract has been entered An order form is included with this mailing into with Canada, Inc. Falling to hear for additional copies at the prices indicated. further from that organization, Commissioner Also included for purchase on the order form Labanowich and I are now agreed that the are: matter should be put before the delegates at 1. The 1990 edition of the NWBA the annual meeting to be held In Little Rock, Classification Handbook which has been AR , on March 20, 1991. The larger question published with the approval of the Player is: should the NWBA use commercial Classification Committee. telemarketing firms as a fundraising technique to supplement the treasury? The Image of the 2, The 4-color, 14"x22" poster advertising Association and the sport are involved in the 42:nd NWBT in Lexington, KY. and consideration of this question . The Executive suitable for framing ($5.00). Committee needs to know how the member teams of the Association regard this issue - 3. The program for the 42nd NWBT ($2.00). positively or negatively - before moving ahead, not only with the possibility of RUSSELL STEPS DOWN AS LAKE ONTARIO contracting with Canada, Inc . • but with any AC of the many telemarketing corporations that abound in North America selling everything Bruce Russell announced his resignation as from light bulbs to tickets to baby pageants Assistant Commissioner of the Lake Ontario to magic shows . Can the membership be Conference prior to the beginning of the comfortable with fund raising based on a 1990-91 season. He had served in that percentage of sales connected with these position for the past ten years and had schemes? Furthermore , is it necessary to introduced many innovative ideas into the urganizatlon of the sport during his tenure. of the Canadian tearns in last summer's He was influential in the framing of NWBA international competitions. As Bruce said, rules on player transfers, divisional "canada entered three teams into international structures and various constitutional matters. competition this past summer and came home He guided the Lake Ontario Conference with three bronze medals, the best medal total through a period of unprecedented growth in of any country in the sport . except for the the late '80's and provided excellent USA." leadership in its administration. As a serious candidate for membership on the Canadian REGIONAL AND SECTIONAL SITES BEING national teams that will play in the 1992 DETERMINED Paralympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, Bruce will devote much of his time to that end . He To date, we have confirmed the following sites plans to return to conference administration for regional tournaments for the postseason after 1992 . play: East: Hamilton, Ontario. Being considered: The new Assistant Commissioner for the Lake Philadelphia, Boston and New York . Ontario Conference is Keith Cartwright of London, Ontario. Keith was a charter member Midwest: Minneapolis, Minnesota; St, Louis, of the team that was organzized as the Forest Missouri j Kansas City. Kansas, and City Flyers thirteen years ago . A Class 11 Wauconda, JL . paraplegic, he was represented Canada in the World Stoke Mandeville Games in each of the Sou th: Gainesville, Flo,rida; Lexington, past two years. He has also served as the Kentucky. Being considered: Dallas, provincial coordinator for wheelchair Houston, San Antonio. basketball for the past two years. We welcome him into the office of Assistant Far West: Tucson, Arizona; Willamette, Commissioner in the NWBA. Oregon. Being considered: Los Angeles area for 2 sites. ERRORS AND OMM1SSIONS Two sectional tournament sites have been Several errors and ommissions in recent confirmed: Newsletters he' e been brought to our Midwest: Grand Rapids J MichJgan attention by Bruce Russell, former AC of the Lake Ontario Conference: in the September 28 South: Birmingham, Alabama. and October 19 issues, the names of Bruce Russ'!ll of Twin City Spinners and Ron LaBar Being considered for the Eastern Sectional is of Dallas Mavericks were inadvertently omitted the New York area (EPVA), and for the Far as members of the Tournament Selection West, the Southern California area. CoDl.l:Jtittee. At the same time, it was reported that the Canadian National team finished 4th Final confirmation of all sites will be in the World S toke Mandeville Wheelchair announced in the next few days. Games when they actually finished third. On that team, Roy Henderson should have been NWBA TOP 25 TEAMS identified as playing in the NWBA with the Twin City Spinners and Grant Strohbach with The NWBA Tournament Selection Committee the Alberta Northern Lights. On the has come up w:ith thJs ranJdng of the nation's Canadian team as well were Keigh Cartwight top teams as of early December. 1990: of Forest City Flyers, and Jordan McEachern of the Northern Lights. Our apologies to 1. Arkansas Rolling Razorbacks Bruce, Keith, Jordan and Grant and the 2. Music City Lightning entire Canadian team for the mix-up. We 3. Alberta Northern Lights indeed recognize and respect the achievements 4. Dallas MaverIcks 5. Fresno Red Rollers analysis of the situation is being made and a G. Los Angeles Stars recommendation will be brought to the 7 . Casa Colina Condors Executive Committee at the time of the annual 8. Grand Rapids Pacers meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas , March 21 9. Lakeshore Pioneers and 22. 10. Golden State 7S'ers 11. New Jersey Blue Devils NATIONAL TEAM COACH TO BE SELECTED 12. Twin City Spinners FROM FIVE CANDIDATES 13. Long Beach Flying Wheels 14. Detroit Sparks The NWBA Bylaws call for the selection of the 15. Toledo Silver Streaks national Paralympic team coaches for men and IS. North Florida Renegades women 18 months before the event. For the 17. Ottawa Royals men, the selection process will take place on 18. Denver Nuggets the weekend of February 2 and 3 when the 5- 19. Chattanooga Big Wheels member Coaches Selection Committee will 20 . Chicago Bulls interview the five candidates who have 21. Baltimore Ravens declared for the position. 22. San Diego City College Knights 23. Baltimore Wheelchair Athletic Club The aspirants to the position are: Harry 24. Willamette Rolling Rebels Vines, Arkansas Rollin' Razorbacks, coach of 25. EPV A Chargers the silver medal team in the 1990 World Championship in Bruges, Belgium; Dan REGIONAL BERTH ASSIGNMENTS Byrnes, Washington Warriors, coach of the siJver medal men's team in the 1989 World All teams seeking a berth in a postseason Stoke Mandeville Games; Leroy Ransom, Los regional tournament are required to submit Angeles Stars, coach of the gold medal men's the application form included with this team in the 1990 World Stoke Mandeville Newsletter. The deadline for submitting the Games; Angelo V . Nicosia, EPVA Chargers, form, together with the $50.00 fee, is January assistant coach of the silver medal men's team 31. in the 1990 World Stoke Mandeville Games; and Paul Jackson, Golden State 7Sers, coach of On February 9, the Tournament Selection the gold medal men's team in the 1990 Pan Committee will convene in Lexington, KY to American Wheelchair Games in Caracas J review the applications, rank the teams, and Venezuela. assign them to regional tournaments according to their competitiveness and taking into Once selected, the coach will be free to pick account geographical factors. his own assistant. The official announcements will be made on 1991 STOKE GAMES TO BE PRE-PARALYMP1C February 10 and 11. EVENT NCAA RULE ON FIGHTING SUSPENDED The Executive Committee ruled during its mid­ year meeting held in Bruges, Belgium in The question of application of the NCAA rule August that the person selected to coach the on fighting which calls for player suspension 1992 Paralympic Games team will also be asked for one game after a single violation and for to coach the men's team entered in the 1991 the season after a second violation, has been World Stoke Mandeville Games, July 24-31. raised in the NWBA . Because the matter of The competitions are slated to be a pre­ administrative responsibility for recording and Paralympic event with six of the top nations reporting incidents is unclear, the competing by invitation.