Jordan Parker

Wheelchair basketball is getting some much-deserved attention at Basketball Nova Scotia, as the provincial entity enters a four-year development plan.

The sport will see a concerted push – with the help of Sport Nova Scotia’s Parasport Coordinator and a committee of wheelchair champions – in the marketing and recruitment efforts in the coming months, with the hope that the sport will garner more interest and participation. 

“We are really excited about these plans, something we feel has been lacking, and I’m personally excited about the great collaboration that got us to this point,” said Lori Lancaster, executive director at Basketball Nova Scotia.

The fact they had experienced coaches, officials, and players from across the province get involved in helping to create the plan was important. Development and recruitment were high on the list of priorities expressed.

“It’s critical to hear from the community. Talking about accessibility and inclusion in sport and navigating how to better achieve it was crucial,” she said.

Lancaster notes that collaboration and partnerships are key to success and highlights the work of Easter Seals Nova Scotia and their Learn To Wheel program. 

“They provide such a wonderful opportunity for participants to try the sport through their programming and we would like to piggyback off that great work and provide participants the opportunity to grow further within the sport.”

Nova Scotia is also part of the East Coast Wheelchair Basketball League (ECWBL), a partnership with the other Atlantic provinces, and was proud to host an ECWBL event Jan. 20 at South Colchester Academy in Brookfield which saw 24 participants from minis (under 16) to juniors (aged 16 and 25) take part.

Zachary Dickson, Parasport Coordinator with Sport Nova Scotia was happy to see how the event went.

“There were great numbers and so many people from across the Maritimes came together,” he said.

Dickson, Lancaster, and long-time wheelchair basketball player and BNS board member Ross Sampson have been working with many stakeholders on this four-year plan. Dickson saw the need for a more concerted effort following a program by SNS.

In Fall 2022, Sport Nova Scotia launched the Parasport Loan Program which gave communities the equipment, training, and lesson plans to offer wheelchair basketball programs for six weeks on a trial basis. The interest was huge which led to the development of a number of programs in Cape Breton, Pictou County, South Shore and Yarmouth, but these programs needed direction on how to collaborate.

“It led to programs not knowing how to take the next step to start playing games and give their athletes more development opportunities. So when we brought stakeholders in to figure out the next four years, it was crucial to have the leads from these programs in the room to give us firsthand input on what they need at the community level,” he said.

With a lofty goal of having a team for the Canada Games in 2027, it’s important the process stays on the right track.

“We did stakeholder engagement in September and talked to coaches from across the province. We talked about where things were and where they needed to be. The big things were that we needed more recruitment and to get more kids involved,” he said.

“With that and the development of coaches and officials top of mind, we can make big changes to the sport in this province.”

For more information, visit www.basketballnovascotia.ca/content/wheelchair-basketball.