LEE’S SUMMITT, Mo. — Dozens of players rolled into Bernard Campbell Middle School in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, for the 2023 KC Crossroads Invitation wheelchair basketball tournament on Saturday, Dec. 9.
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The Kansas City Kings host the annual tournament. Teams from Washington, Texas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois and other states participate in the two-day tournament.
“With different cities only having one team or two teams at max, it’s kind of hard to have a local tournament,” explained Matt Bollig, coach of the Kings.
He launched the team about six years ago to fill a need. Having played sports as an nondisabled child, Bollig realized the need to include everyone when he became a wheelchair user after an injury at age 20.
“We started up the Kansas City Kings and now we’ve got several kids going to college that scholarships to play,” Bollig explained.
The rules for wheelchair basketball are nearly identical to the nondisabled version, except players have to dribble for every two pushes they give their chairs. The intensity is at the same level.
“I would say fans don’t really understand the competitiveness of it, so it shocks them,” said Karson Henderson, 13, who plays for the Kings.
His teammates appreciate having an outlet where their disability doesn’t matter.
“We’re included instead of being, like, left out,” said Yandel, 14. “It just makes us feel like we’re just playing the same as anybody who can play.”
The tournament continues Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the middle school.
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