Rancho's adult wheelchair basketball team ranked No. 4 nationally

DOWNEY — The Rancho Halos wheelchair basketball program has led the way in adaptive sports at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center for the past 30 years, giving men, women, and children with a disability the opportunity to compete athletically.

Through funding provided by the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation and a grant from the Hanger Foundation, Rancho’s Division 1 adult basketball team set their sights on the prize as they focused on ranking high enough to compete in the 2022 NWBA Nationals in Wichita, Kansas.

Division 1 is considered the ‘NBA of wheelchair basketball’ and is highly competitive. Fifteen teams in total registered for the 2021/2022 season with the majority of the teams having sponsorships and support from their local NBA teams. The Rancho Halos went into the season as the clear underdogs having not competed the previous year and having no affiliation with an NBA team.

In addition, strict LA County COVID-19 safety guidelines were in place that made practicing this season difficult. Regardless, the team persevered and continued to meet twice a week for practice on outside basketball courts on both hot summer days and cold winter nights. Knowing that they were going to be playing against professional wheelchair basketball athletes and Paralympians, the team continued to dig deep to prepare for the upcoming season, which ran September through March.

Their hard work paid off as they entered Nationals in eighth place. The Rancho Halos won their first game against the Memorial Rehabilitation Sharks 62 to 59 and then won again against the New Mexico 66ers 71 to 64. Then in their third game they unfortunately lost against the Dallas Mavericks 46 to 59 but it was enough to earn the Rancho Halos a fourth place ranking at Nationals… their highest placement ever!

While the news of being ranked fourth in the nation is a major accomplishment, the true story here is the impact Rancho’s wheelchair basketball program has made on its players. When asked about the season, Rancho Halos’ Teddy Um summarized the impact of the program best: “It has given me hope again, allowing me to cope with the emotional trauma of my injury.

“Being surrounded by my teammates who have gone through their own injuries and sharing the court together has been a rewarding experience. This has given me the hope and power to aspire for goals outside of basketball such as becoming an occupational therapist. Although my injury took away my ability to play able body basketball, it opened a new door for me that challenged me in the same way. I am thankful for the Rancho Foundation.”

For more information on the programs and services funded by the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation or to make a donation, please visit us at www.RanchoFoundation.org.