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Delmon10
posted 9/5/10 - 10:46 am
Attention all Quads who play this sport. I think it time for us as quadrapelegics to get proactive in changing the direction our so called quad rugby league is headed. First off the game could use a name change instead of Quad rugby how about just Wheelchair rugby because when you look around the league all the best quad rugby players aren't even quads. That is not fair at all, For example Will Groulx, Chance Sumner, Joel Wilmoth, Chuck Akoi, and Nick Springer. Sorry Boys your not quads but you are all on the national team in a sport called quad rugby. Since the USQRA officers dont seem to be doing anything about it we as players need to unite and say no more. Anybody got any ideas on what we can do? I have a couple of ideas but they aren't so nice. I could go on for days but i'll stop here and wait for some feedback. Thats is if any of you other quads see this as a problem.
Landon
posted 9/5/10 - 8:59 pm
My thoughts....
I feel your frustration to some extent because it is damn hard to make Team USA. Would I take any of the previously mentioned players out of the game? Hell no. Technically all of these guys are quads...have an impairment in all four limbs. I've played with or against all of these guys at some point in my four seasons, and they are top level athletes. I'm a low pointer so this is how I see it. If you want to take all of the complete quadriplegics and put them in a league...you would have low point rugby. It's fun sure, but frustrating compared to playing a fast-paced 8 point game. I hope this isn't offensive, but it's like watching WNBA v. NBA ball, we know where the excitement is. The guys that you mentioned have a physical edge whether it's height, speed, quickness or strength. It's the same way in every sport, people are born with different natural or in this case injury-caused advantages. Some of us might have to work harder to get there...so be it. Doesn't mean you can't work your ass off and make it. Kirkland gave me a great piece of advice after I didn't make it through the second round of cuts at USA tryouts last year. He said, "I diidn't make the team at my first USA tyouts. Coaches said I didn't show em enough." We all know the outcome here. So I'm gonna take something like that and roll with it. Don't put a limit on your abilities and then call guys out that have been successful, it's not cool. Your're a male model right? You won't see Nicky sporting new Nikes down the runway and you damn sure won't see Chuck in the next Rolex ad. So maybe that's your edge in this crazy cripple world we live in.
rodrigo
posted 9/6/10 - 7:47 am
Definition
The definition of quadriplegia (a.k.a. tetraplegia) is "paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human that results in the partial or total loss of use of all of their limbs". This paralysis, whether total or partial, can be caused by injury to the spinal cord (as is most common), by a neurological disorder, or amputation (congenital or not).
As a "non-quad," by your definition, I take offense to the insinuation that we are, somehow, interlopers in the sport. I think the name "Quad Rugby" still fits and the only reason that I would see to change the name to the more general "Wheelchair Rugby" is if we allowed high-level paras (i.e. no trunk) to play as well, but that's a whole other ball of wax.
Biggie
posted 9/6/10 - 10:30 am
LOL
LOL
Chuck Aoki
posted 9/6/10 - 1:42 pm
Come on Del, at least spell
Come on Del, at least spell my name right if your gonna rip on me...haha
QRforLife
posted 9/7/10 - 8:17 am
no, see that's where people
no, see that's where people get confused. u only need impairment in 3 limbs. Both legs i guess, and at least on hand. just ask biggie one perfect hand, one semi-perfect. ask ian chan, one perfect hand. who else...u know. The frustration comes whren u google some people to find they are paras, or happen to have nerve damage in one arm, but are paras nonetheless. or hurt a hand and call themselves quads. More frustration surfaces when classification is so also a synonymous with acting. And yet even more frustration surfaces when the national coaches find and exploit these non-quads, knowingly, but not caringly damaging the present and future of the sport.
Cohn
posted 9/8/10 - 9:10 am
Well Put
Well Put Landon! Lets put the Shoes on Chuck and the watch on Springer!
Mike
posted 9/9/10 - 11:09 pm
i say make it a 7 point game
i say make it a 7 point game to get more low and mid pointers on the court. from what i hear alot of european teams have gone to 7 point tournaments.