4 Ways to Train for Wheelchair Basketball

1. Running the Fast Break in Wheelchair Basketball

Your ability to push the basketball from hoop to hoop is crucial to winning in wheelchair basketball. There are a number of ways to train your team to move the ball quickly from tip to finish. Small parachutes can be attached to each player's wheelchair to create resistance during practice that helps build upper body strength. You can time each player's sprint from one end to another with and without the parachute to set a standard for your team. A third drill to facilitate the fast break is sprinting while passing the ball as little as possible to simulate game conditions.

2. Cultivate Peripheral Vision on the Court

It is important to strengthen your peripheral vision before trying to develop good fast break skills. You will not be able to make quick passes and maneuver into position without noting the position of opposing players on your flanks. Your full field of vision can be refined by setting up targets on both sides of a basketball court. These targets should be placed along the sidelines near the center court line to provide fixed points for your focus. You should push your wheelchair to center court while remaining mindful of the sideline targets. Your eyes must remain on the basket while avoiding traps and attempted steals during this drill to sharpen your focus.

3. Develop Good Passing Skills for Wheelchair Basketball

One of the toughest skills to learn in wheelchair basketball is making sharp passes. Some players find it difficult to hit moving targets while passing the ball around defending players. One training method that will refine your passing skills is placing chairs and other obstacles on the court during practice. You can practice lob, chest and bounce passes from all points on the court while teammates are moving toward the basket. Your coaches and friends can push these obstacles around the court to simulate moving defenses as you get closer to the next game.

4. Get Up to Speed With Rebounding Drills

A final training method that will refine your wheelchair basketball skills is the 21 Up drill. This drill starts with every player on your team lined up at the free throw line. The lead player throws the ball at the backboard and the trailing player rebounds the ball. Each player bounces the ball against the backboard for the following player to rebound. This drill gets challenging if your team only has a few members, since each player has to get back to the free throw line before his turn begins. Your rebounding performance will improve as you get better at gathering the ball, making a basketball move and heading up court.