By: Heath Anderson
Fayetteville, Ark. (UATV) – Robert Harrison serves a nonprofit that provides resources to people with disabilities, goes on strolls, plays boardgames and on Wednesday nights, plays wheelchair basketball.
A weekly group meets in the Hyper at the University of Arkansas.
Harrison formed the group in 2007 after moving to Fayetteville from New Hampshire.
“When I came down here I was missing it, and so I was like I want to play.” Harrison said.
All it took to start playing was to ask the UREC director.
“She said ya sure we can play,” Harrison said. “She had some chairs downstairs, so we brought them up, recruited people, and started playing. It’s a lot of fun.”
The game is open to anyone who wants to play, and Harrison and the rest show new players the ropes.
“Will give you the basic rules, how to maneuver, how to shoot, it’s a lot easier than you’d think.” Harrison said.
One student, Jaden Goff, is a regular.
One night in his freshman year, Harrison invited Goff and his friend to play wheelchair basketball after they were finishing up a game of conventional basketball.
“We were like, hey why not,” Goff said. “We fell in love with it.”
Aside from the enjoyment, he said the community has helped him as well.
“I’ve also gained a much better perspective of what kind of other sports there are for people who aren’t able to play regular sports.”
The Hyper provides wheelchairs for anyone who’s interested in playing.