Lady Rockies

2006-02-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Looking for a few Good Women!

Since wheelchair softball's humble beginnings, women have been every much a part of the game as their male counterparts. In fact, until recently, most teams have historically been comprised of both male and female players. The NWSA is dedicated to encouraging more females to participate not only as players but also to serve on various committees of the organization.

For over 30 years, women have played side-by-side with male players with their local team. In 2003, history was made with the introduction of the American Divas - a women's team dedicated to promoting additional opportunities for female athletes.

At the National Tournament that same year, the Divas finished 15th in the country. In 2006, a new all-women's team will hit the field comprised of women athletes from across the country. The Lady Rockies is looking for athletes, coaches and support staff and will be traveling to Chicago this summer to compete in the National Tournament.

To sign up, please send us an e-mail to jclarke@shakopee.k12.mn.us

2006-02-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

Wheelchair Softball Rules

WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL IS PLAYED UNDER THE OFFICIAL RULES OF 16” SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL AS APPROVED BY THE AMATEUR SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS:

1. All participants must be in manual wheelchairs with foot platforms.

2. The playing field shall be a level smooth surface of blacktop or similar materials with 150 feet on the foul lines and 180-220 feet to straight center.

3. The official diamond shall have 50 feet between all bases and 70 feet, 8.5 inches from home to 2nd.

4. The pitching stripe extending perpendicularly 1 foot on either side of the diagonal from home to 2nd base shall be located 28 feet from home base.

5. At 2nd base shall be located a 4 feet diameter circle. At 1st and 3rd base, in fair territory, shall be located a 4 feet diameter semicircle. The defensive baseman and the base runner must touch the circle with one or more wheels in order to tag the base. The bases shall be painted white.

6. At 1st base only, the base is extended into foul territory. The extension shall be 24 inches deep and 24 inches wide beginning at he 50-mark and shall be white. This extension may be used by the base runner only as an extended tag area for 1st base.

7. The base runner must be seated in his/her wheelchair and may tag or make contact with the base with either one or more wheels, or may tag the base with his/her hand. If a runner is knocked out of his/her chair, he/she may proceed to the previous or next base by any means other than hopping, walking, or running, and make contact with the base with any part of his/her body. A base runner may not place a lower extremity (waist down) on the ground or someone else’s chair to stop his/her chair. If he/she does, the play is dead will result in a delay dead ball situation.

8. No fielder may advance toward or play the ball with any lower extremity in contact with the ground. A player may return to his/her chair and then advance toward the ball. The result is a dead ball at time of violation and all runners receive a minimum of one base advance from the last base achieved before the violation. Additional bases may be awarded at the umpire’s discretion based on which base the umpire thinks the runner would have achieved without the infraction. The umpire may award a minimum of 2 bases.

9. All teams are required to have a quadriplegic on their team in active play. This means that when the team is on defense, they must have a quad playing one of those positions. Failure to have a quad take the field will require the team to play a fielder short (i.e., 9 rather than 10 players). When the team is hitting there must be a quad in the batting lineup and bat in the same position throughout the game. Failure to have a quad hit in that position will be an automatic out.

10. A team must have the required 10 players, including one or more quads, to start the game.

11. The hitter cannot have a lower extremity in contact with the ground when hitting. If he/she does, the ball is dead, the batter is out, and all base runners return to the last base achieved before the illegal at-bat.

12. The ASA rule subject to the EXTRA PLAYER (EP) is not legal in wheelchair softball.

13. Teams are balanced by the following point system:Quad (any) = 1 point Class I = 1 point Class II = 2 points Class III = 3 points
a. At no time in a game shall a team have players participating with a total value of points greater than 22.
b. The coach, in placing his/her team’s roster in the official score book before each game, shall place a Roman numeral prominently and in a common line between the player’s disability classifications.
c. The official scorer shall be responsible for seeing that personnel on the field for either team at any given time does not exceed the above balance rule. This will only have to be checked at the beginning of the game and at time of substitutions. No checking of the total value points will be necessary if I substitutes for a I, II, or III; or if a II substitutes for a II or III. It will only be necessary if a III substitutes for a II or a I, or if a II substitutes for a I.

14. A restraining line shall be marked 12 feet from the bases and parallel to the baselines, which run from 1st base to 2nd base, and from 2nd to 3rd base. All 4 infielders must have at least one wheel on the line or on the infield area side of the restraining line until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. If any infielder fails to observe the restraining line rule, the umpire will immediately award the 1st base to the batter. The infraction shall be treated as a walk.

15. The player classified as a quad may alter their bat to improve the grip. The altered bat must be approved by the head umpire for safety concerns (no sharp or pointed edges, etc.).

16. The player classified as a quad may wear a glove on either or both hands regardless of position (including pitcher).

17. The “Chop Hit” is allowed in the National Wheelchair Softball Association.

18. A semicircle restraining line shall be marked in the outfield 100 feet from home plate and extend to each foul line. All outfielders other than the short fielder must remain behind the line until the pitcher releases the ball during a pitch.

19. Quads can bunt in the National Wheelchair Association, but must inform the umpire before first at bat of quad status during any given game.

2006-02-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

Classification

The National Wheelchair Softball Association (NWSA) uses a classification system to create an equal and competitive playing field. Are players participating at the National Wheelchair Softball Tournament are required to be classified by an official classifier who will and assign a specific point value to the player. Teams are balanced by the following point system:

Quad (any) = 1 point
Class I = 1 point
Class II = 2 points
Class III = 3 points

At no time in a game shall a team have players participating with a total value of points greater than 22.

Historically, the NWSA has accepted the classification systems of other nationally governing bodies of disabled sports such as those set forth by the NWBA, USQRA and in some instances, other disabled sports organizations. Typically, if a player is already classed by an official classifier from NWBA or USQRA, the NWSA will accept that classification and allow a new wheelchair softball player to compete under that classification.

If a new player to the sport is not already classified, the opportunity to be classified exisits usually the day before the NWST at the host hotel.

Currently, the NWSA's classification system in under review and an appointed committee is in place to review current standards and make recommendations.

2006-02-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

History of Wheelchair Softball

We may never know who the first wheelchair athlete was that picked up a bat and a ball and hit the parking lot. We do know that organized wheelchair softball started in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with the inception of the very first team - the Sioux Wheelers. Good news traveled fast and by the mid-1970's, surrounding cities in the upper Midwest developed their own teams such as the Courage Rolling Gophers, Des Moines Roadrunners, and the University of Illinois wheelchair softball team.

In 1976, the National Wheelchair Softball Association (NWSA) was formed as the national governing body of the sport with Dave VanBuskirk presiding as NWSA's first commissioner. Under NWSA's direction, the league expanded in the late 1970's to include such teams as the Quint City Roughriders and a team from Omaha.

In 1980 two teams in particular were born - the Chicago Pacemakers and the St. Paul Rolling Thunder. Both powerhouses, along with the Courage Rolling Gophers boast the only true dynasties in the league's history with the St. Paul Rolling Thunder taking the crown. Southwest State University also joined NWSA that year.

Jon Speake took over as NWSA commissioner in the mid-1980's and held the position for three consecutive 7-year terms resigning prior to his untimely death in August of 2005. Through Speake's direction, the league expanded further.

If there was a new team participating at the NWST back in the 1980's it was most likely from Illinois. The state saw its share of teams. From the University of Illinois, Chicago Pacemakers, Champaign-Urbana, Urbana Black Knights, RIC Rollers, Chicago Sidewinders, Windy City Snakes, to the Chicago Bulls. Other teams joining in were the Great Plains Drifters, and Wisconsin PVA Badgers.

In the late 1980's to early 1990's wheelchair softball expanded its boarders throughout the Midwest developing teams such as Wright State University, Columbus Pioneers, Kansas City Slammers and St. Louis Rams. One great highlight of this era was a sponsorship deal fostered by the RIC Rollers and Cubs Care which set precedence for other teams across the country.
By the mid-1990's, Baltimore All-Stars, Texas Stars and Colorado Rockies spread NWSA's territory even further. The Courage Rolling Gophers split into two new separate teams and the St. Paul Saints and Courage Rolling Twins were born.

In the mid-to-late 1990's Texas and Colorado would join Illinois and Minnesota as states with three or more teams. The Texas Stars broke into three established teams, Astros Blue, Astros White and Dallas Lighting. Colorado had four established teams at one time with the Colorado Rockies, Blake St. Bombers, Colorado Springs Wildcats (formerly Sky Sox), and Bolder Brewers. These programs grew too quick too fast and consequently, these programs have suffered since.
In 1998 the sport was introduced to New York and from there spread along the coast developing the United Spinal Mets, NEPVA Red Sox, Magee Phillies, Brookhaven Ducks, Mauldin Mallers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and United Spinal Yankees.

New team names with familiar faces came into the scene a the turn of the century. A Toledo Silverstreaks/Columbus Pioneers team got together to form TC United, which is now the Cleveland Indians and women's team named the American Divas was formed.

The NWSA continues to grow and has only mentioned a brief overview of our history and teams. If you have any historical perspectives to add to this article please contact us.

2006-02-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

About Wheelchair Softball

Wheelchair softball was born 30 years ago in the Midwest by a few individuals with spinal cord injuries and lower extremity impairments, who still wanted to enjoy America's greatest pastime. These individuals needed to develop a way of playing without the full use of their legs that would allow easy maneuverability in a wheelchair and keep the fast pace of softball. Thus was born a new game played on hard surfaces, such as a parking lot, instead of the normal grassy infield, and a 16-inch softball, which allows wheelchair players to keep one hand one the wheelchair while catching a softball without a glove.

In 1976, the National Wheelchair Softball Association (NWSA) was founded and serves as the governing body for wheelchair softball in the United States. The game is played under the official rules of the 16-inch slow pitch softball as approved by the Amateur Softball Association of America with some exceptions geared toward the wheelchair user. Teams throughout America compete on a regular basis and hosts several tournaments throughout the summer. The NWSA hosts a national wheelchair softball tournament annually, which celebrated its 27th anniversary in St. Paul, Minnesota, this past August.

Today, NWSA governs over 30 teams nationwide. Many teams have sought and found allegiance and sponsorship with their Major League Baseball (MLB) team counterparts, such as the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies. All wear official MLB uniforms and compete with pride under their respective professional team's logo.

Wheelchair softball is an exciting and challenging summer sport that enables most wheelchair users to compete. To learn more about the NWSA, visit their website at www.wheelchairsoftball.org

2006-02-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

Help Us Help Our Nation's Women Wheelchair Athletes

Our goal is to afford women wheelchair users the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Historically, the sport of softball has been a female sport. Young girls to teenagers to adult women have played the sport throughout their lifetime. In the wheelchair softball world, women must compete with men for playing time. While many women are just as good as men, they often get passed up for playing time - especially in competition.

Your contributions, whether financial or through volunteering, will help us foster an avenue for women to play the sport they grew up with and gain camraderie, self-confidence and learn team-building techniques in the process.

The Lady Rockies are part of a non profit 501(c)3 organization and your contributions are tax deductable. Please help us help our nation's women wheelchair athletes with a donation to this worthy cause.

For more information on how you may help, please send us an e-mail to jclarke@shakopee.k12.mn.us

Thank you in advance!