I remember when I was in elementary school going to Magic games and maybe once or twice a year, the Magic Wheels would take the court and play an exhibition game as a halftime show.
As a six- or seven-year-old kid, this idea of wheelchair basketball was astounding. How do you play basketball confined to a chair?
Usually the announcement of their arrival came with the note that the Magic Wheels were involved in national competitions and champions of those competitions. Sometimes they would play against the Miami Heat’s wheelchair team. That rivalry carries over to this version of basketball.
The action was fast-paced, surprisingly physical and every bit as athletic as the action we saw for the 24 minutes surrounding this 10-minute basketball exhibition.
And that really is the point. It is basketball. There is very little difference.
Guinness recently had a commercial with a group of friends playing wheelchair basketball with a disabled buddy. In that ad you could see the grit, physicality and determination to play this game. And what some of those that love the sport — love any sport or physical activity — have to do to continue to participate.
That ad, plus an article I ran across from a Louisville newspaper reminded me of the impact and the import of this team. . . and also how good it is. The Orlando Magic Wheels continues to dominate and be a championship program in its sport. They continue to exist and compete, representing Orlando in the way they can.
Championships are ultimately not what the Orlando Magic Wheels are about. The program and the ability to play a sport are a part of the rehabilitation process. It is reaffirmation that a normal life is possible even with a disability.
“One, it’s very difficult for disabled people to find exercise,” Orlando Magic Wheels coach Joyce Prakke said. “You stay strong, you get cardio. I really like the physical condition I was in as an athlete when I had two legs. Secondly, the culture. We’re all disabled. All these people, we’ve all accepted our disability. You can’t play this sport if you haven’t accepted your disability.
“It’s a different kind of life, but it’s a good life. The chair is just a thing.”
Prakke said she has seen newly injured people find empowerment in playing this sport and interacting with other injured and disabled players.
She shared a story with me of a young girl who joined the women’s team after a car accident and finding self-confidence and independence again from playing the sport. There are countless other stories like that across the landscape of wheelchair basketball and within the Magic Wheels organization itself.
“You get to see these newly injured people and how they get their confidence back,” Prakke said. “The only difference between me and an able-bodied person is it will take me a little longer to do things.”
At the NWBA Tournament that took place in Louisville in April, there were youth divisions as well as adult divisions for competitors. Hearing those stories and seeing the disabled athletes succeed and compete as any able-bodied person would is awe-inspiring, but also something incredibly normal.
Magic Wheels has been around for 15-20 years. Like I said, I remember seeing them take the court at the Orlando Arena and seeing updates on the team in the old Magic Magazine.
The National Wheelchair Basketball Association provides competition for four separate divisions depending on age and ability level. Four different types of disability makes a person eligible to play — those with spinal injuries, those who can move side to side, those with double or single amputations and those with medical disabilities that prevent running. Prakke estimated there are around 64 competitive teams in the United States.
Magic Wheels, Prakke reported, had 200 people show up for Division Three
tryouts
tournament, the level just before the competitive teams. There are six teams competing in the championship division in Florida alone — including one that is also shares a name with the Miami Heat. Magic Wheels also has a development team for those still learning the game.
If you watch the video above, you will notice that there are several teams wearing NBA jerseys. Many teams receive some type of sponsorship from their local teams in addition to hospital and charitable organizations.
The Magic helped donate to the group through their relationship with Florida Hospital for nearly a decade during the early years of the team. That relationship ended, however, at least 10 years ago. Except for jerseys donated from the Magic and the name, there is now very little relationship between Magic Wheels and the team.
Magic Wheels is asked on occasion to appear with the team at charity events and put on an exhibition at Magic games. You do not see the Magic Wheels around the team as often as you would, perhaps, in the early days of the Magic.
The team is always looking for sponsors to send teams to national tournaments and provide this competitive outlet for disabled athletes. They are completely reliant on public donations to provide these opportunities to these athletes.
Magic Wheels though carries on. They continue to compete and succeed and provide this important outlet for athletic competition.
The team wearing the Magic uniforms reached the semifinals of the national NWBA tournament in April. And they are still involved in disability awareness programs and have exhibitions games at schools and talk to kids to try to normalize their exposure to people in wheelchairs and with disabilities.
Among the community outreach programs Orlando Magic Wheels is involved in is working with Wounded Warrior Project to help bring the sport to our veterans. Photo by Victoria Long
Watching them play this difficult sport gives you a totally new respect and a totally new perspective on the game.
Like the Magic, the Magic Wheels are getting set for their upcoming competitive season. They practice at the Silver Star Rec Center on Apopka-Vineland Road every Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. The practices are open to the public.
The team hosts their 4th Annual All-Star Invitational from February 21-23 at the Silver Star Recreational Center (Championship Division) and at the West Orange Recreational Center in Winter Garden (D3 Division). The National Tournament takes place in Louisville from April 16-19.
They compete throughout the state for several weekends throughout the year starting in October. The Magic Wheels are really fortunate that there are seven teams in Florida from Jacksonville to South Florida to Tampa that they are able to compete against.
But they are completely reliant on the community for support.
They are constantly looking for donations to cover their travel expenses to compete in the various tournaments throughout the state. They are also currently looking to raise funds to purchase two new sports wheelchairs for their competitive team. These wheelchairs have to be custom-made for the individual athlete to make sure they are comfortable, like protecting against pressure injuries, for example.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities of one of the teams or players or to make a donation or, even, to learn more about Orlando Magic Wheels, please contact Joyce Prakke at joyce@orlandomagicwheels.org.
These athletes proudly represent our city and wear the Magic name across their chests. They continue to roll on, providing an important physical and social outlet for those that seemingly had a lot taken away from them. If they prove anything it is that they have not lost everything. They still get to play the sport they love and still get to live full lives.
Basketball helps them affirm their identity in this new life.
And they are pretty damn good at it too.
[Eds. note: Any corrections made to this post are noted as such. Orlando Magic Wheels had 200 in attendance for a local competition not the tryouts. The competition levels are based on age and ability not on the type of disability. The type of disability is what makes a player eligible to play.]