Following Davis Part 3: Murderball with Men’s Liberty
We’re back and to kick of 2013 with a bang we wanted to share an update from Davis as he prepares for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. After nearly 10 years of heckling from friends and fellow competitors, Davis has finally given in and joined the Tampa Generals Quad Rugby team. “I’ve been talking trash for years, now I have to put my money where my mouth is,” he says. Although the Tampa Generals aren’t part of the Games, being involved in great practice and he’s loving the challenge!
I joined Davis and his Tampa Generals teammates for a practice session in Clearwater, FL just before Christmas and wanted to share the pics and videos below!
It been a couple of days since the practice and the thing that I remember most is the sound. They practice in a gymnasium so everything sounds louder. It echoes. The players have special chairs with full metal wheels that are angled for balance and turning at high speeds. They bang into one another over and over backwards and forwards – it sounds like they are trying to knock each other out of their chairs!
In the midst of all this they are throwing and dribbling a white ball, attempting to score. I don’t know too much about rugby but it seems that the quad rugby teams have matched the able bodied version for sheer brutality. I guess I know now why it’s called murderball!
The Tampa Generals are a wheelchair rugby team that has been in existence since 1989. Since their inception, the Generals have continued to be one of the top teams in the U.S. Quad Rugby Association. The Generals boast 3 National Championships and are the most storied team in the history of the sport. The Generals are a community based team comprised of players from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Hernando, and Sarasota counties. During rugby season (Oct – Apr), the Generals compete at an average of 8-10 tournaments per year around the country. Davis is one of nearly a dozen players including two women!
There are 4 veterans on the Tampa Generals team and they are looking forward to competing in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. In advance of the Games, Davis is learning a lot with the Tampa Generals and enjoying the competitions!
There are two local January competitions in FL that we’d encourage you all to check out! We’ll be there with bells on to support these amazing athletes!
6th Annual Southern Slam Quad Rugby Tournament
Jacksonville Ice & Sportsplex
3605 Phillips Highway
Jacksonville, FL 32207-5613
Fri, 01/04/2013 – 9:00am – Sun, 01/06/2013 – 1:00pm
21st Annual Coloplast International Wheelchair Rugby Tournament
All Peoples Center
6105 E. Sligh Avenue
Tampa, Fl 33617
Fri, 01/11/2013 (All day) – Sun, 01/13/2013 (All day)
Next up on Following Davis…. adaptive water-skiing!!!
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For more info on the Games, check out: www.wheelchairgames.pva.org