Wheelchair basketball is fast and fun. It takes a fair bit of work to get the hang of it but you'll love it once you've mastered the basics. The WheelKings have playing and training opportunities for beginners to elite, disabled and able-bodied. Note that the info below mostly relates to Sydney. If you are from outside Sydney, contact your State Association listed on the Links page.

Updated 31/7/09: Basketball Australia now has a comprehensive list of beginner opportunities across Australia at http://www.basketball.net.au/index.php?id=846

The Levels:

Australian Rollers and Gliders - we'll talk about these after you have a few years of experience but, if you want to go that far, keep national representation in your list of attainable goals The head coaches are always scouting for talent so work hard!

European leagues -  a number of our accomplished Australian players head to Europe in the off-season and play starring roles in clubs from countries such as Italy and Spain. WheelKings young gun Bill Latham plays for Once Andalucia in Spain's division 1 league from October to May. Liesl Tesch played several seasons in Italy to great acclaim.

National Wheelchair Basketball League - this is the peak Australian competition and is for players with a classifiable disability only. Most of our website is concerned with this league. Paraplegics and amputees make up the majority of players but people with lesser impairment of the lower limbs (arthritis for example) may be classified as a minimum disability. Lots of former able-bodied basketball players who can no longer play because of permanent knee and ankle injuries may be eligible. The 2009 season runs from 30th May to 13th September.

Sydney Wheelchair Basketball League (and Autumn League) - these are intermediate leagues with 2 or 3 divisions to suit different skill levels. Everyone can play in what is an enjoyable social competition. Games are on Sundays over a 4 to 6 week period and are played at various venues around Sydney. Chairs are available for hire.

4 on 4 Night Comp - the first comp concluded in March 2009 and was a great introduction for novice players. This open competition is played on Tuesday nights at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. Teams have a balance of new, intermediate and experienced players. This is primarily a development league so it is a very good place to start. The next comp will start in October after the NWBL finals so look for details under Latest News.

Scrimmage night - Thursday nights at St Josephs from September to March are a lawless shootout. Teams are made up randomly, there are no referees (and very few fouls called), and you go hard for 2 hours straight. It's a great way to toughen up and also try stuff you wouldn't do in a game. Not for the faint-hearted. The carnage starts at 7pm :-)

Beginners Training - held Wednesday night at City of Sydney basketball stadium, Alexandria, this is an excellent entry point to the game. Chairs are provided and the coaches will get you into playing shape very quickly. New training venues across Sydney are being planned for 2009 by Ben Osborne from Basketball Australia. Email him for more details Ben.Osborne@basketball.net.au (Note: a weekly session is now available at Sutherland Basketball Stadium)

For more information about playing for the WheelKings in Sydney League or Night Comp, fire off an email to wheelkings@three.com.au Provide a few details about yourself and what level you want to play at, and we'll be able to get you started in no time.

Updated 31/7/09: Basketball Australia now has a comprehensive list of beginner opportunities across Australia at http://www.basketball.net.au/index.php?id=846