Wheelchair basketball

I shot a couple of Wheelchair basketball games yesterday and the one thing that really struck me wasn't so much the games but the athletes that compete in the games, sounds a little odd as without the athletes there is no game. Now the thing about wheelchair basketball is that you don't have to be disabled to compete, you can be an able body athlete to compete, but once you are strapped into the wheelchair you in affect become disabled. There is an amazing skill level involved in just moving a wheelchair in a straight line, I've tried it, it's not easy, but these athletes bang and crash, turn on dime and stop on the same dime, all the time dribbling a basketball and shooting. It is a great sport to watch, like every sport full of characters, laughing, crying and competitive. One of the team Ontario athletes plays with one hand, no legs and a heart as big all outdoors, he inspires those around him, is the soul of the team, and as tough a kid as I've ever seen. Shayne Smith won't ever be a household name, never be a Crosby or Gretzky, but in the world of just being a human being, his attitude on the floor is heads above so many.