No Cover Proof of 2012 - 2013 Chicago Wheelchair Bulls Program

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Introducing
www.Marianjoy.org
www.wheelchairbulls.com Chicago Wheelchair Bulls Program 2012-2013 3
CONTENTS
Chicago Wheelchair Bulls
Ofcial Program
Rules of Wheelchair Basketball
The regulations of Wheelchair Basketball, including
dribbling, fouls, and player classifcations
26W171 Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, Illinois 60187 630-909-7150
INPATIENT OUTPATIENT SUBACUTE PHYSICIAN CLINICS
Wheaton Downers Grove Elmhurst Hinsdale
Oakbrook Terrace Oak Park Palos Heights
www.Marianjoy.org
Program Team
Editor: Joe Gerardi
Art Direction: Denise
Lease
Photography:
Gary Gribble and others
Wheelchair Sports
of Chicago, Inc.
The Chicago Wheelchair
Bulls is An Entity Of
Wheelchair Sports Of
Chicago, Inc., A Not-For-
Proft Organization.
President: Ted Beck
Vice President: Joe
Gerardi
Secretary: Dan Ferreira
Treasurer: Dave Radbel
Fundraising / Outreach:
Seth Goldberg
Chicago Wheel-
chair Bulls
Team Representative:
Joe Gerardi
Head Coach:
Ted Beck
Assistant Coach:
Joe Gerardi
Address all inquiries to:
1251 W. Lake Street #101
Addison, IL 60101
Phone 630 878 2073
Fax 630 933 0801
Email:
chicagowheelchairbulls@
gmail.com
Website:
www.wheelchairbulls.
com
Facebook: Search for Chi-
cago Wheelchair Bulls
For New Players:
If youre interested in
joining the bulls or know
someone who might
be, please Contact Joe
Gerardi at jfg28@aol.com
Running With the Bulls
High school student Matt Molenkamp shares the benefts of
practicing with the Chicago Wheelchair bulls
2012-2013 Season Schedule
Where you can fnd the Chicago Wheelchair bulls in action
this season
A New Start in an Old City
Wheelchair Bulls Coach Daniel Ferreira shares his
experiences with Prep teams in the city of Chicago
Bulls Kids Day Game 2011
The Bulls took on the Thunder in an exciting game from the
Wheelchair Bulls Kids Day Game in 2011
A Great Night in Arlington Heights
A yearly fundraiser & exhibition match with the Arlington
Heights Fire Department at Miner School
Junior All-Star Game Winter 2011
Local Prep Wheelchair Basketball teams sent their best for a
regional All-Star Game during Kids Day Winter 2011
A Special Shout-Out
Team Rep Joe Gerardi gives kudos to those who give their
time to make the Wheelchair Bulls successful
Team Roster
Introducing the 2012 - 2013 Chicago Wheelchair Bulls
Team Photos
See your favorite Chicago Wheelchair Bulls players in action!
A Frenchman in America
Meet the Bulls latest addition, Benjamin Chevillon
The Parquet Page
A page dedicated to those who have been an important part
of the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls
2011-2012 Season in Review
Dan Ferreira reviews the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls 2011-
2012 Season
4 Chicago Wheelchair Bulls
As an organization that survives on the loyalty and support of its community, the
Chicago Bulls believe it is not only our duty to reach out to those in need around us,
it is our strongest passion. Whatever challenges we face as a basketball team,
no mission is greater than that of building a community.
Aside from winning games and entertaining our fans, we have a responsibility and a
desire to actively contribute to the growth of our society. To do so, we aim each day to
assist with the education and development of our youth, contribute to organizations
that provide services to needy families and improve our citys struggling neighborhoods.
It is through these efforts that we are determined
to leave a lifelong impression on the city of Chicago.
Making an impression.
CharitabullsAd_Layout 1 8/30/11 1:11 PM Page 1
5 2011- 2012 Offcial Program
6 Chicago Wheelchair Bulls Program 2012-2013 www.wheelchairbulls.com
Rules of
the Game
Wheelchair basketball is played in
accordance with most NCAA rules with
some changes to accommodate the
wheelchair. Baskets are the regulation
height but players are allowed 4 seconds
in the lane instead of the 3 in ablebodied
ball. The 3-point line is 21 feet and fve
fouls or two technical fouls will send
you to the showers. Like able-bodied
basketball, hitting a player when he
shoots is a hack. Running into a player
when hes stationary is an offensive foul.
Here are a few other rules specifc
to wheelchair basketball:
Dribble:
A player may dribble and push the
wheelchair at the same time. A player
may take two pushes on the wheels after
which he must either dribble, shoot
or pass. There is no double dribble in
wheelchair basketball. Three pushes
constitutes a traveling violation. A
player with the ball may coast down the
foor without touching the handrims as
long as he wishes.

3-Second Lane Time
Limit:
An offensive player cannot remain in the
free throw lane more than three seconds
while his/her team has the ball in the
front court.
Physical Advantage Fouls:
A player must remain seated in his/her
chair at all times. players may not use a
functional leg for a physical advantage
over an opponent. Violations of this
rule constitute a physical-advantage
technical foul. Three such fouls result in
ejection from the game.

Wheelchair Height:
The seat of a players wheelchair may
not exceed 21 inches from the foor.
Additionally, a Class III player may not
have a cushion that is more than two
inches thick. A Class II and Class I player
may have cushions up to four inches
thick.

Player Eligibility:
Eligibility to play wheelchair basketball
is not governed by a persons need to be
in a wheelchair to move about. Rather,
to be eligible for wheelchair basketball,
an individual must have a permanent
disability or injury below the waist that
prevents the athlete from participating
in able-bodied basketball.

Player Classifcations:
In an effort to make the game fair and
open to varying degrees of impairments,
players are classifed by their injury and
resulting mobility as follows:

Class I - Complete spinal injury or
comparable disability resulting in
total impairment of muscular function
originating at T-8 or above.

Class II - Complete spinal injury or
comparable disability resulting in
signifcant impairment of muscular
function of hips and thighs.

Class III - All Other Disabilities
At no time may a team have more than
twelve classifcation points on the foor.
For example, the usual line-up is three
class-threes, one class-two, and one
class-one (3+3+3+2+1=12). Another
common line-up is two class-threes and
three class-twos (3+3+2+2+2=12).
to practice with them on
Tuesday nights, because it
shows that they want me to
succeed and reach my full
potential.
I
hope when I get out
of college, I can still
play with the Bulls
because theyre such a
great team. When I frst
started practicing with the
Wheelchair Bulls, I did not
know what I was doing.
Now, I feel like I understand
the game much better, and
its all because of them.
Running
with the
Bulls
It means
a lot to me
that the Bulls
afford me the
opportunity
to practice
with them...
it shows that
they want me
to succeed and
reach my full
potential.
By youth Player
Matt Molenkamp
H
ello, my name is Matt
Molenkamp. I am 17
years old and I have
been playing wheelchair
basketball for about 5
years. I currently play for
the junior division of the
Windy City Warriors as well
as practicing with the adult
Wheelchair Bulls. While I
really enjoy being a member
of the Warriors team, I feel
truly honored to practice
with the adult Bulls.
I
really appreciate the
Bulls letting me practice
with them on Tuesday
nights. Over the past 3 years
practicing with the Bulls, I
have learned so much. Team
members have always tried
to help in any way that they
can. Whether helping me
to understand the game of
wheelchair basketball better
or just being there for me
when I need help.
I
believe my practice
time with the team
has elevated my game,
because playing at adult level
forces me to put in more
effort than 100%. Team
members never take me off
the court when I screw up,
rather they make me fx what
I was doing wrong and try
until I get it right. It means
a lot to me that the Bulls
afford me the opportunity
For Directions, call 1-866-TOUR-JBC (868-7522)
Visit us online: JellyBelly.com
1-800-JB-Beans (522-3267)
Wheelchair Bulls
2012-2013 Schedule
November 3-4 @ University of Illinois
Champaign, IL
November 10 @ Miner School
Arlington Heights, IL
November 10 @ Curie High School
Chicago, IL
November 17-18 @ Harlem High School
Rockford, IL
December 15 @ NEDSRA
Addison, IL
March 1-17 @ NEDSRA
Addison, IL
March 23-24 @ Monon Center
Carmel, IN
April 18 - 21 @ Seaton Center
Louisville, KY
Future dates to be added when confrmed
Check www.wheelchairbulls.com for
updated schedule information
A new
start in an
old city
L
Like the rest of the Wheelchair Bulls, I have a
day job. Well maybe not a day job, as I work a
number of evenings and plenty of weekends.
I work for the Chicago Park District as the
Adaptive Sport Program & Event Facilitator, and fve
years ago when I moved to Chicago to take this job,
there was not really a how to manual, but what
there was, was the dedication to build a program
that would offer the opportunity for the youth of
Chicago to dream and to create a path to reach those
dreams.
T
hat being said, Chicago is not necessarily
foreign territory for the wheelchair sports
movement as we can boast that we have
an extremely large and organized adult
population who are avid wheelchair basketball and
wheelchair softball competitors. For those who are
old enough, can remember the Spaulding Bulldogs
who were the frst youth wheelchair basketball
program in Chicago, who helped to form the National
Wheelchair Basketball Associations (NWBA) youth
movement and eventually the junior division. When
you are at a Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
(RIC) Hornets or Chicago Fire wheelchair basketball
game, many of those athletes got their start with
the Bulldogs. Then one day budget cuts arise and
the Bulldogs are no more and also there went the
Chicago Blizzard Youth Sled Hockey Team too.
T
hen ten years later the Chicago Park District
sets in motion to make inroads to do it all
over again. Perfect timing as Chicago is a
bid city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic
games. We piloted everything from boccia to
power soccer, to wheelchair basketball, for two
years we were growing painfully slow as we would
get a person here and there, but never more than
two people at any one program. I would tell the
youngsters tales from my experiences as I would
coach them on individual skills and always would
fnish with some one on one. I would tell every kid;
tell your friends, tell me about people you know,
and one day we will have a team, I promise
W
ell one day comes along when RIC
hires Trent Thenhaus from Western
DuPage Special Recreation Association
who had been coaching the Warriors
for a number of years to come in and begin a youth
program for them. When he got to the city we met
and discussed our common goals and decided that
we were stronger together than we were separate
and developed a plan and a partnership. He has
access to some kids that are in other RIC programs
Dan Ferreira shares his
experiences in the world of Prep
wheelchair basketball in the City
of Chicago
...one day
we will have
a team, I
promise.
and we start there, along with the few kids
that I had been working with over my time
in the city. We hosted our frst practice on
a chilly day in October with nine kids from
all over the city. It was exciting, as we had
a team!
W
e continued to practice and
work on our skills and we got
better, and as we improved,
we decided that maybe we
would play in a tournament. We decided
that we would register for the Illinois
High School Associations March Madness
Wheelchair Basketball Tournament. The
kids were so excited when we told them.
We then had the conversation about a team
name and the kids threw out different ideas
from the Rockets, to the Bulls and many
more in between. Among this list was the
Skyhawks, which the kids were fond of. To
be honest, I was not fond of this name as
I thought to myself: what is a Skyhawk?
But I did not put up a fght when the kids
came to a consensus about the name of
our team.
S
o now we were able to go out and
get some jerseys with our name
on it and along with jerseys came
a season schedule. With a few
months before State, we also registered
for a few other junior tournaments in
Dolton, Lake Forest, and Chicago that
would help our development. With
each tournament there was plenty of
frustration on the court, but there were
far more successes from improved
communication, fundamental passing
skills, etc. We were improving every
time we hit the court. So by the time we
got to Peoria, the kids were so excited
to represent their city in a state wide
competition. The fun part of this trip was
the fact that for many of the Skyhawks
this was the frst time that some of our
kids had ever stayed in a hotel. It was
ofcial we were having a slumber party!
That whole trip my heart was warm and
tingly as I watched them play on and off
the court and could not help but feel so
fortunate to have the opportunity to be
a part of this experience. I knew it was
a special moment as these kids lives
would be forever better because of the
opportunities that our sport provides. For
three days our athletes were wide eyed
in all that did and it was incredibly fun to
just sit back and watch them grow.
T
wo seasons ago was year where
we exploded from nine to over
thirty, and we would plan for
two teams in our frst full year
of competition in the Junior division, one
in the prep division (6 12) and the JV
division (13 18). It was astronomical
growth for any team, but we knew that
there are many more kids out there that
could beneft from our program. Having
the opportunity to split the group was
the best thing that we could do as it
allowed for the members of our program
to develop appropriate peer to peer
relationships within our program. The
other thing that we built into our program
in year two was greater accountability
especially on our JV team. We understood
that we had a responsibility to prepare
our athletes for the next stage of their
life, and we wanted them to have the
same expectations that their peers have;
i.e. going onto higher education, having
...it was incredibly
fun to just sit back
and watch them
grow...
a career, etc. This was not just a dream,
but an expectation, that eventually they
will grow up and we will need them to be
role-models for the future generations of
Skyhawks.
L
ast year when we arrived in Peoria,
we told our athletes; from here on
out, nothing is new, and you have
been here and done that before.
They were a seasoned team now and
we challenged them to play as such as
we asked them about the characteristics
of good team. Over the course of the
weekend, we built off of this premise
which led to many more discussions.
Traditions are great, but bad habits are
not, and I attribute this weekend to our
athletes evolution as they began to grasp
the concepts and lessons that we had
been teaching them. This was evident this
summer during our softball season as our
team posted big wins through effort and
skill, rather than depending upon luck.
I
am excited that basketball season is
here again, as I look forward to seeing
our maturity, skill improvement, and
effort come to the forefront of our
program. We are positive that there will
be plenty of success to come on the court,
but I am far more excited to the many
successes that we know they will have in
all of the other aspects of their life. When
someone asks me now what a Skyhawk is?
I tell them; a hardworking, intelligent, and
goal oriented; that is how I describe the
athletes in our program. It is these skills
that will serve them for the rest of their
life.

Good Luck
Wheelchair Bulls!
The Windy City Warriors wish
the Wheelchair Bulls a high-scoring,
action-packed season!
The Windy City Warriors are a WDSRA
sponsored program. For more information,
call 630-681-0962 or visit www.wdsra.com.
WDSRA is a nationally acclaimed organization serving the
communities of Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn,
Naperville, Roselle, Warrenville, West Chicago, Wheaton,
and Wineld.
Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA)
supports children, teens, and adults with
physical disabilities.

Programs are designed to allow participation
to the fullest extent possible
Oers a variety of recreational and competitive
athletic programs
US Paralympic Club member
Bome of the )x IBSA Wheelchair 8asketball
State Champions
1he Windy City Warriors are ranked 8th in
the nation
Social programs too!
Equal Fun For Everyone
The Chicago Wheelchair Bulls hosted
the Waukesha Thunder in the 2011
Christmas version of the annual Kids
Day game.
The Bulls looked to exploit their height
advantage and get the ball inside to their
big men, Curtis Lease and Chuck Wyder.
The Thunder featured an all star in his
own right, point guard Eric Barber.
It was nip and tuck all the way as the
Bull led 28 27 at half. The leading
scorer for Chicago was Curtis Lease who
scored 10 and for Waukesha is was Eric
Barber who had 11 at halftime.
The second half featured much of the
same close action as other players
started to get into the fow of the game.
Forwards Kevin Besette and Eric
Shimkus had 8 points between them
to try to help Barber get the win for
Waukesha.
The Bulls point guard Gary Maldonado
had 6 second half points to help bolster
another strong half by Lease who had
another 10 point half.
Both teams played hard in the closely
fought game, but the Bulls hung on to
win the marquee game, 53 - 52 with the
Thunder having a couple of chances
to win the game, but some last minute
attempts did not fall.
Curtis Lease of Chicago had 20 points for
the victors.
Eric Barber fnished with 20 points for
the Thunder.
IMAGE NAME/AGENCY
Wheelchair
Bulls Kids Day
Game 2011
Gerardi & Sons
Development, Inc.
Congratulations to the Chicago
Wheelchair Bulls as they return
to the 2013 NWBA Nationals in
Louisville, Kentucky.
GOOD LUCK BULLS!!
Joe Gerardi
The Chicago Wheelchair Bulls would like to thank the
Jack DeLoss Taylor Charitable Fund
for their support of our
24
th
Annual Bulls Day for Kids.
World Sport Chicago is an
independent, non-proft
organization that strives to
teach life-enhancing values and
leadership through sport. We
believe that sport has the power
to strengthen individuals, and in
turn, Chicagos communities
www.worldsportchicago.org
18 Chicago Wheelchair Bulls
NEDSRA Adaptive Sports
Junior Wheelchair Basketball
Adult Wheelchair Basketball
Track & Field
Swimming
Weightlifting
Golf
Boccia
Soccer
Skiing
Cycling
Judo
Tennis
Beep Baseball
Sports Sampler
To learn more, contact Adam O. Kramer
at 630-576-4037 or akramer@nedsra.org
nedsra.org
A Great Night in
Arlington Heights
BY SETH GOLDBERG
On November 10th, 2012, I hosted
an exhibition game at Miner School
in Arlington Heights. It was a game
between the off duty Arlington Heights
and Buffalo Grove Firefghters. We had
a silent auction, rafe prizes, food, soft
drinks, baked goods and t-shirt for sale
along with a 50/50 rafe sponsored by
the Arlington Heights Fire Department
and Fire fghter Jason Wachal.
We had an awesome evening and
another huge success for the 4th year
in a row. Both young and old had a
wonderful time. I was thrilled to have
this event in my hometown in Arlington
Heights to raise awareness and educate
the community about wheelchair sports.
Our team tries to be a role model in our
communities and show everyone to look
beyond the wheelchair and see the real
person. The Chicago Wheelchair Bulls
take pride in this and want everyone to
understand that we are real people that
just move around in Wheelchair.
The Chicago Wheelchair Bulls and I
would like to extend a huge thank you
to Miner School and NSSEO for hosting
us again this year. Also we would like
to thank Cookers food in Deerfeld and
JDs restaurant in Arlington Heights for
providing the drinks and food for the
event. A huge, Huge thank you goes out
to the Arlington Heights Fire Fighters,
their whole department and local union
3105 for supporting us every and and
also to the Buffalo Grove Firefghters for
their support.
Lastly, we would like to thank, Arlington
Heights Mayor Mudler, the Village
Trustees, and the Arlington Heights
community for always supporting in
what we do.
Ink Well Ad
The 24nd Annual Kids Day was kicked
off by a group of Junior All Stars, split
into Red and Black teams.
The Red team was paced by swingman
Kyle Gribble who scored 16 points in
the frst half. The Red team was more
balanced, led by a trio of young men,
Justin Harrison, Kyle Picchetti, and Erik
Todd who each scored at least 6 points
each in the frst half.
The Black team held a precarious lead
at halftime, 24 22. Kyle Gribble kept up
his hot shooting scoring 18 points in the
second half, but it wasnt enough to hold
off the scoring due of Picchetti and Todd
who tallied another 8 points apiece.
Picchetti scored the game winner late in
the second half. The Black team held off
the red by 2 points 50 48.
For his individual brilliance, Kyle
Gribble was named Most Valuable Player
scoring 34 points. He won some wheels
from Per4max Medical for his efforts.
IMAGE NAME/AGENCY
Junior All-Star
Game Winter
2011
Best of Luck to
the Chicago Bulls!
Denver here
we come!
Hoop...there it is!
GO BULLS!
Billy & Lynn Toczyl
E
very year the Wilson
Sporting Goods has
provided basketballs
for our gift bags and
backpacks for our halftime
rafe. And each year, we
have great rafe prizes
courtesy of the Bulls and
other generous donors.
For helping to
make Kids Day
so successful and
for being such
a great believer
in the Chicago
Wheelchair Bulls:
I
d like to thank Variety
Childrens Charity
of Chicago, Inc. and
Per4Max Medical for
donating wheelchairs and
equipment during last years
event. We couldnt do these
great events without the
generous support of groups
mentioned.
A Special
Shout-Out
A
s one may imagine,
charitable
organizations
dont make it through two
decades without the help
and generosity of so many
people and companies. It just
isnt possible to maintain a
quality organization, hold
great events, and do so many
things (in addition to playing
basketball) and staying
within a budget without
tons of outside help. So on
the following pages, we try
to acknowledge people who
have helped us.
To Those Who Have
Helped with the
Program:
J
oe Gerardi and Denise
Lease, along with several
contributing writers who
put together this program.
J
ohn and Pete at Inkwell,
the ofcial printer of
the Chicago Wheelchair
Bulls. Thanks again for
letting us blow our deadlines
and still get us the programs
in time for our events!!!
There is no way we could
ever do this job without your
help.
A
ll of the friends and
family members,
along with the
corporations who make not
only this program possible,
but also the success of this
team. We wouldnt be able to
do it without you!
D
uring the Bulls Day
For Kids, the team
treats about 100 kids,
parents and friends. For
the last few years, Homerun
Pizza has provided the pizza
and utensils for the kids.
Thank you guys!
The red in the logo is PMS 1805 C: 5% M: 96% Y: 76% K: 21% R: 175 G: 38 B: 38 rgb: #af2626
As the frst and only provider
of urological supplies and
other medical products
committed to supporting
adaptive sports, our mission
is to help people with
disabilities lead healthier,
more active lives.
www.abc-med.com
ABC is the exclusive medical supply partner of the
National Wheelchair Basketball Association.
No. Player Position Class Hometown
3 Curtis Lease Forward III Naperville, IL
5 Eduardo Rivera Guard II Hammond, IN
12 David Radbel Guard II Chicago, IL
13 Ben Chevillon Forward II Dunkerque, France
15 Kyle Picchetti Guard III Roselle, IL
21 Ted Beck Guard II Montgomery, IL
22 Kevin Kohn Guard II Schaumburg, IL
23 Kyle Gribble Forward III Hanover Park, IL
24 Joe Gerardi Forward II Addison, IL
25 Seth Goldberg Forward III Arlington Heights, IL
30 Gary Maldonado Guard I Chicago, IL
40 Chuck Wyder Forward III Chicago, IL
42 Dan Ferreira Guard II Chicago, IL
44 Tom Daily Forward III Gurnee, IL

New Players:
Quinton Daily
Zachary Haney
Josh Johnson
Introducing Your 2012 -2013
On the look-
out for new
players!
Are you interested in playing some round-
ball? The Wheelchair Bulls are always looking
for new players. No experience necessary. All
you need is a desire to learn and a commitment
to work hard and we will help you do the rest.
Not only will wheelchair basketball give you
the exercise you need to stay in shape, it pro-
vides a great competitive outlet and youll make
friends that will last a lifetime. If youre inter-
ested or know someone who might be, email
Joe Gerardi at jfg28@aol.com or look for our fan
page on Facebook; Chicago Wheelchair Bulls.
Chuck Wyder #40
David Radbel #12
Ted Beck #21
Tom Daily #44
Joe Gerardi #24
Curtis Lease #3
Dan Ferreira
Formerly #13
Currently #42
Seth Goldberg #25
Gary Maldonado #30
Ben Chevillon #13
28
Kevin Kohn #22
Kyle Picchetti #15
Kyle Gribble #23
29
O
n September 18, 2012,
Ben few to Chicago
for a one-year
adventure as a Wheelchair
Bulls player.
I decided to try the
American experience for at
least one year for the sporting
aspect and especially the
personal aspect. I wanted to
dedicate basketball to earn
new things. Whats better
than the USA Wheelchair
Bulls and especially the
Wheelchair Bulls for this
project? They have good
coaches, great players and a
great atmosphere in the team.
Even though it was hard to
leave everything in France to
live in Chicago, I do not regret
my choice. This experience
is more than experience
with the Chicago Wheelchair
Bulls. It is an experience
with friends, the Wheelchair
Bulls family, meeting new
people, life in a new city,
discovering a new country,
a new society. The United
States embodies so much that
I had to try this adventure. I
found new friends here, this
great basketball family where
everyone knows eachother. I
hope that this season will be
flled with good things and
emotions. In any case, I have
fun and I thoroughly enjoy
every day that passes.
L
ets go Bulls! And as
we say in France: ne
rves pas ta vie, vis yes
rves, Do not dream your
life, live your dreams.
A Frenchman
in America
...as we say
in France:
ne rves pas
ta vie, vis
yes rves
or, Do not
dream your
life, live your
dreams.
B
orn on August 17, 1988,
Benjamin Chevillon
is a French athlete.
He is known for his interest
in international wheelchair
basketball competition, and
for his involvement in politics
and associations to defend
the best interests of people
with disabilities
I
n 1995, Benjamin was
diagnosed with leukemia,
and spent more than
a year in the hospital at
the University Hospital of
Dijon. To overcome the
disease, doctors have used
chemotherapy. After months
of treatment, Benjamin
was healed, but he was
was left with a diagnosis of
paraplegia. He and his family
were organized their lives
around and according to his
disabilities.
H
e began his career
as a wheelchair
basketball player
in 2005, with the JDA Dijon
Basket, the current club of
professional basketball in
the city of Dijon. Progression
and determination allowed
him to quickly integrate
the collective, but also to be
called team hopes France
(under 22 years) two years
later, in 2007.
B
ut Bens frst passion is
music. He took drum
lessons for six years
at the Tony Fallone school
of music. During these years
he made the acquaintance
of several young musicians
to create a band called
Interference. This group has
a composition to his credit
Renaissance, which met
with great success among the
youth of Dijon.
I
n 2009 Benjamin was
sophomore at STAPS
University of Lille II,
majoring in the feld of Sports
Management. He received his
degree in 2011 and played for
several teams in France.
B
ut in January 2012,
a discussion with
the coach of the
Chicago Wheelchair Bulls,
has changed its plans.
Daniel Ferreira proposed to
Benjamin to visit for a week
and try playing with the
Bulls. After trying out, the
good news came: the Bulls
wanted Ben to join their
team.
2011-2012
Season in
Review
T
he Wheelchair Bulls 2011/12 season
would begin with a great deal of change
and a number of questions would arise.
After the 2010/11 season, we lost three of
the fve players from our starting lineup
as longtime Bull Sue Haddick hung her
sports chair up in the garage to rest her
shoulders, Josh Fabian had his ffth child,
and Alex Parra made the tough decision
to play closer to home with the Southside
Chicago Fire. This left two things; a void of
leadership, but opportunities for players to
step into those roles that were vacated.
O
n the frst day of practice, there was
a great deal of excitement in our
practice gym as the remaining players were
more than willing to step up. Although
we had lost some vocal leaders, we were
not without leadership as long time Bulls
Joe Gerardi, Ted Beck, and Curtis Lease
had more than enough experience and
success to serve in a leadership capacity.
Another positive was that Dave Radbel was
back after undergoing a kidney transplant
eighteen months earlier. This would be
the core of leadership and supported by
Southwest Minnesota States Kevin Kohn,
Tom Daily, Gary Maldanado, Seth Goldberg,
and our junior phenoms Kyle Picchetti
and Kyle Gribble. There would be an
adjustment period, but we would be just
fne.
T
he past couple of years, the Bulls have
had a pretty busy November with the
Second City Showdown in Chicago and
the Rockford Chariots Invitational. In our
frst tournament the unthinkable would
occurred when Dave Radbel went for a
steal and got his arm caught between
the offensive players real wheel and side
guard opening a large gash on his forearm.
This injury left us one more man lighter
and now we would have to worry about
classifcation points as we were down
another Class II.
O
ver that previous summer I started
toying with the idea playing and began
scrimmaging to get some exercise, but now
I was left with a decision as to what I would
do as I have always enjoyed coaching the
Bulls. The next week I made the decision
to pack up my ball chair and see what
happens. At the end of that practice I had
to go home and ice for about two hours,
but was excited to get back to practice next
week. But who would take the sideline
duties? The next weekend in Rockford, a
solution appeared as Dave was back on
injured reserve and had more than enough
experience. The weekend was a little rough
but we were not dead in the water and just
needed some time to gel.
B
y the time that Kids day rolled around
we were feeling good as the 23rd day
was one that was amazing. We brought on
a new sponsor with Variety Club of Illinois
who we celebrated International People
with Disabilities Day as they donated brand
new sports chairs to two deserving youth.
The other highlight of the day for me was
seeing a number of Bulls alumni come out
and NWBA Hall of Famer Marvelous Marv
Lapicola handed out the awards to the
junior all stars.
A
s the New Year arrived, we were
preparing for the RHI Pacers
BY DAN FERREIRA
invitational. This would be a tournament
with stiff competition and would be
the test to see where we fall within the
Championship Division. We played tough
games against the Cleveland Cavaliers,
Chicago Fire, and the Pacers. Although we
came away with a losing record, all of our
games were close games. We left feeling
good about our play and looked forward to
going to Lexington for Bluegrass. Bluegrass
is the tournament that earns you a spot in
the national tournament or it can bump
you out. That weekend proved tough for
the team as every minute on court was a
struggle. From having a hard time putting
the ball in basket to defensive break downs
at inopportune times, it felt like we could
not catch a break. This does happen some
games, but to have an entire tournament
was incredibly frustrating. The The one
positive was that we took away on our way
home was that our bonds as teammates
had never been stronger in my fve years
as a Bull.
W
ith the end of the season rapidly
approaching we made the decision
to not attend the NWBA national
tournament, but we would host a home
tournament for our fans, friends, and
family. It had been a couple of years since
our last home tournament, and on a
beautiful day in March, we were in the gym
playing host to our friends in the NWBA.
We played well and fnally posted a win
against the Chicago Fire which was a feel
good for us as we had lost close games to
them for most of the season.
W
hen the last hoop was scored,
we talked about our goals for
next season and rolled out of the gym.
Looking back I would say that we had
a successful season. No great team
ever underestimates the importance of
chemistry - and that was what we built
over what was a transition period and is a
new chapter for the Chicago Wheelchair
Bulls.
Autographs
34
Mike & Cathy
Venzon
Kate Mullaney Miner School
Variety Club of
Illinois
Michelle Baert
Vince Pagone
Tim Lenahan Laura Brown
Bill Kelley
Ruth Rossman
Jelly Belly
Bob Gallo
Power
Construction
John & Pete
at
The Ink Well
Jeff Schultz
Tony Rokita
Chicago Bulls
George at
Home Run
Inn -
Addison
Big Bruce
Jim Glascott
Jenna, Adam,
& Lisa
NEDSRA
All the NEDSRA
volunteers who
make our Kids
Days great
Denise Lease
Bill Peck
Chris & Al!
Patty Woods
Wilson Sporting
Goods
Mike Kuehne
Wilson Sporting
Goods
The Chaffee
Family
Tom, Carole,
and Deanna
Gallo
Craig
Taters
Cunningham
Kevin Kollins
Kids Day
PA Announcer
Jack McClure
Marla & Ted
Goldberg
McHenry West
High School
All the
Gerardi
Companies
Gary Gribble
Phill Foster
Catherine Taylor
Jack DeLoss -
Taylor Charitable
Trust
Tony @
Players Sports
Jason Siok
Chicago Bulls
David Heeren
UBS
Ken Wegner
The Jel Sert
Company
Dave Danowski
& Dan Mullin
Rebecca
Palumbo -
youre a god
Lea Jackman
WDSRA
Nancy Miner
WDSRA
Randy Cecola
Triumph
Packaging
Virginia
Munkvold
ISBA
The Parquet
Page
A parquet basketball foor is made up of many
wooden squares that combine to make a bas-
ketball foor. Similarly, the Wheelchair Bulls
organization is composed of many people and
companies who through their efforts make our
organization one of the strongest in the league.
Without their support, we could never accomplish
so many feats. This page is dedicated to them.

GOOD LUCK
TO
JOE GERARDI
AND THE
CHICAGO WHEELCHAIR BULLS
VICTOR A. GERARDI
PRESIDENT
170-A ALEXANDRA WAY CAROL STREAM, IL 60188
630-510-2434 FAX 630-510-9255

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