THE
Full Court
P
WHAT’S
Inside
R
E
S S
United States Quad Rugby Association
Eye on the Rock
• Player
Spotlight
• New Board Members
• Deadlines
• Soapbox
Standings
D-I
1. Sharp
2. Lakeshore
3. Denver
4. U of A
5. Northridge Kings
6. Fraizer TNT
7. Magee Eagles
8. Tampa
D-II
1. Minnesota
2.. Portland
3. San Antonio
4. Shepherd
5. Texas Stampede
6. Arizona Outcasts
7. Michigan
8. East Coast
Don Crandall keeps his eye on the ball. His East Coast Crippler’s team competed in its 1st Nationals in April
N
B
ow’s the time to start preparing for next
season. How do we get better?
esides practice, the answer is grants,
clinics, and tournaments. The photo above
is symbolic of what going to tournaments and
clinics can do for a team. This great photo
taken by Mark Cowan of Sports n Spokes not
only gives us a cool snapshot into our 2009
National Championships, but it also shows
what teams can accomplish when they stay
focused and hold and attend clinics.
he USQRA has long supported clinics and
players. Wendy Gumbert has retired
T
from her position as caretaker of this most
important function of our league. We thank
her for her incredible 10+ years of service.
Ed Suhr will be taking over this position
and will set up and structure the USQRA’s
support.
he deadline to get clinic and grants has
been extended by the board until July
15, 2009. Get in touch with Ed and find out
how you can hold a clinic (player/referee/
classifier) in your area. Money is available
to help, so act now.
T
Smashing Stereotypes One Hit at a Time
Cont page 2
April
June15,
1, 2009
2009
Volume 4, Issue 23
National
Sponsors
_______________
Continued from Page 1
THE
Fu ll Co u r t
P
ersonal grants are also available to help
those in need – up to $500. Contact Jason
Regier for details. Check online or look for
the link on page 3 for applications.
T
GAMES ON XABLE
ell, it took forever, but we now have
the Division I and Division II National
Championships up for viewing on xAble and
embedded onto quarugby.com. The games
are great.
inally, to get to the big dance or to play
on Team USQRA or Team USA it takes
commitment, practice, and sacrifice. It
takes good old fashion hard work, and, of
course talent. Go to clinics where the best
rugby minds on the planet are there to help
you. Go to tournaments. That’s how the
current elite players got there.
eep your eye on the rock and you might
get your chance to play in London in 2012
or (hopefully Chicago) in 2016.
F
K
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PAGE 2 of 4
Prez Soapbox
TEAM USQRA
eam USQRA has reorganized and has
chosen a new team. The team’s purpose
remains the same – to act as a potential
stepping stone to Team USA. Head Coach
- Troy McGuirk; Assist Coach - Sue Tucker;
Team Manager - Susan Alvarez; Team Leader
- Gregory Pizinni; Staff - Gary Pate, Paula
Braaten, Carolyn Boebinger; Equipment Matt Schamburg.
Athletes: 0.5 Travis Anderson and Gabe
Nyrkkanen; 1.0 Landon Groff; 1.5 Brian
Burger and Mike Schamburg; 2.0 Austin
Cogar, Eric Ingram, Eric Newby, Tim Ostler;
3.0 – Delvin McMillian and Jeff Odom; 3.5
Josh Wheeler.
Those selected reported to the first of many
camps in mid May to begin preparations for
their first competition in Rio de Janeiro this
month. The team will also compete in a
bigger club invitational in 2009-2010.
Congratulations to all the players and
staff. We will have results from the team’s
competition in Rio in our August issue and
on quadrugby.com.
W
P
J
GATORADE
ason Regier has been working with a
Gatorade ad company and provided them
with high-def footage from our 2007 filming
efforts at Nationals.
was watching ESPN last week and the
spot ran during the NBA game. It’s a
montage of many other sports (all AB) with
the wheelchair snip being only a second. It
was very cool seeing QR amid the likes of
Michael Jordon and many others.
ow, there was a good amount of criticism
leveled at the AGM in 2008 about this
project being self-serving on Regier’s part,
but the fact is that we produced the amount
of video that we could with the money we
had. Not only does the DVD represent the
USQRA with class, it has been an invaluable
tool to present our sport. It also has the
quality necessary for Gatorade to use in a
commercial and pay us for it. This, my rugby
friends, is the value of high-quality video.
I
N
NEW BOARD MEMBERS
James Gumbert is the new Commsih.
Gumbie, as he is known, is coach of Team
USA and the Texas Stampede. He was
President of the USQRA 2004-2006.
Chris Rathje is the new VP. Chis is a player
for Lakeshore. He will be responsible for
communications to our membership.
James Ezell is Teasurer. James plays for
the RHI Indy Brawlers and has a degree in
Accounting.
On a personal note, I announce with sadness
that the Hoveround Gunners, after 20 years,
will be no more. Hoveround was a long
time D-I team, and before that a primary
developer of Division II, hosting the first
official D-II tournament: Sarasota Smash.
Smashing Stereotypes One Hit at a Time
June 1, 2009
Volume 4, Issue 3
Player Spotlight
THE
Fu ll Co u r t
2.0 Andy Cohn
Sharp Edge
Links FYI
P
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PAGE 3 of 4
Code of Ethics
and Complaint
Procedure for
USQRA
Deadlines
AGM Minutes
Constitution and
By-Laws
Developmental
assistance:
Individual grants
Team grants
Interested in joining the dynamic
team updating the
web site?
contact:
Jason Regier.
All Links
and Rugby
Store
@
quadrugby.
com
Murderball DVD
here.
CLINICS
2009-10 Clinic
grant application
Deadline is July 15
for applications.
NEW Clinic contact
For information? Email
Ed Suhr
A
ndy asked that his entire team be shown.
He is second from the right.
He lives in San Diego, California, and
is “happily married” to his wife Mandy.
“We have a son on the way to be born in
September,” he added. Congrats!
“I was a 16-year-old passenger coming home
from school when the driver lost control of
the car, it flipped and my neck breaks,” Andy
recalls.
“I owe a debt of gratitude to Lance Sedbrook,
former Arizona rugby player, who introduced
me to the sport I love. I’m not exactly sure
but I think it’s my 12th season upcoming.”
Andy uses a Vesco. “My great gratitude to
everyone at Vesco who have helped me so
much and continue to deliver the best in chair
setup, production and performance.”
His career highlight thus far: “Being part
of the 2008 gold-medal-winning Beijing
Paralympic team. The 2008 team was by far
the best team I’ve ever been a part of.”
Andy weighed in on Kevin Orr coaching in
Canada: “I’m glad Gumbie is USA coach
and I appreciate the time he puts into the
sport. I’m very surprised Kevin would coach
Canada. I could never train a team to beat
my home country and could never get any
joy from beating the USA team.”
“I like playing video games and hanging out
with my friends and my wife. I am enjoying
playing with Sharp Edge. It’s a good time
hanging with all the guys and I am enjoying
learning from Dan McCauley and Troy
McGuirk.” And vise versa, we’re sure.
Photo © Mark Cowan/Sports ‘N Spokes
Quebec Wins
Canadian Nationals
see page 4
Smashing Stereotypes One Hit at a Time
June 1, 2009
Volume 4, Issue 3
Continued from Page 3
THE
Fu ll Co u r t
T
International
News
Tournaments
he Canadian Championships were
held at The Richmond Olympic Oval,
the spectacular venue of the 2010 World
Championships. The power was in Division
I where the game of the tournament was
played. – a triple OT thriller between
Ontario and BC. Ontario won 57-56.
SEE
iwrf.com
www.cwsa.ca
wheelblacks.com
USQRA
Tournament
Results
3.0 Fabien Lavoie gets rocked by 2.0 Dave Willsie
Ed Hooper
President
James Gumbert
Commissioner
Jason Regier
1st Vice President
Chris Rathje
Vice President
James Ezell
Treasurer
Suggestions and
comments,
Contact:
Bob Crandall
Secretary
Ed Hooper
Editor
R
S
S
E
About Us
PAGE 4 of 4
T
he United States Quad Rugby Association
exists to provide support, structure, and
opportunity for competitive wheelchair
rugby to people with disabilities.
Smashing Stereotypes One Hit at a Time
is the main message of our players and
our sport. Quad rugby is a tough, give-noquarter game. Our players’ lives – their
successes and trials on and off the court
– are a continuous example of smashing
stereotypes. The sport is about ability and
competitive fire. It is testament to the
spirit of our great athletes, their humanity,
and the intensity of our game.
quadrugby.com
USQRA
BOARD
P
B
ut is was the Quebec Impact led by newface Sebastien Coutier and veteran Fabien Lavoie who took home the big prize
beating the Ontario Thunder, featuring
Dave Willsie and Mike Whitehead, 46-42.
he Coutier brothers, Sebastien and Manual, are making some noise in Canada. It
will be interesting to see which high-pointers
will be on the 2010 Canadian National Team.
n Division II, Saskatchewan Sasksquash
took on 3-time D-II Champs Ontario Lightning. The Lightning couldn’t make it 4
straight, losing to the Big-footers or the
Squashers (we’re not sure which) 41-37.
lease go to cwsa.ca for details of all results. Special thanks to Don Lane for his
story and Kevin Bogetti-Smith for the above
photo.
T
I
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Click for information on how to
obtain the latest coaching aid:
2006 USQRA Coaches Manual
Click here to be added to our mailing list.
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in the fastest growing wheelchair sport in
the world.
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Smashing Stereotypes One Hit at a Time
June 1, 2009
Volume 4, Issue 3