Movin Mavs Annual Report 2010-2011 1. Unit Profile Statement The Movin Mavs Adapted Sports program continued to provide recreational and sport programs for eligible students with disabilities during the 2010-2011 year. Student-athletes in this program successfully competed at a national level in wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis, along with entry-level competitions in adapted swimming and hand cycling. The head coach, graduate assistants and interns represented the program and the University at several regional, national and international adapted sport functions through partnerships with U.S. Paralympics, Time Warner Cable, The Warrior Transition Command of the U.S. Army, the Inclusive Fitness Coalition, The United States Tennis Association, the NIRSA Adaptive Recreation and Accessibility Committee, the NWBA and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. New grant partnerships were formed and old partnerships continued through the U.S. Paralympics, the Neilson Foundation, the USTA and the UT Arlington Development Office. Scholarship opportunities were also developed within the budget to honor former wheelchair basketball pioneers and injured service veterans that will allow for future enhanced scholarship support. Success in completing the goals and objectives and student learning outcomes was positive. Five Movin Mavs players and student staff graduated this year. The overall grade point average as a team was just above the 2.75 team goal. This season, 68% of the athletes and student staff met the program goal of a 2.75 cumulative or current grade point average, down 6% from 2010. All of our athletes achieved the cognitive goals in learning the game of wheelchair basketball and 88% of them improved their fitness, speed and agility goals. Two athletes were recognized as UTA Scholar Athletes and the program was honored as a Silver Award Winner of the NASPA Excellence Awards. 2. Program/Service Areas and Subcomponents The Wheelchair Basketball team hosted the Intercollegiate Division National Tournament this year with seven men s teams and four women s teams competing. The Movin Mavs finished in third place in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Intercollegiate Division. Three players were recognized with National Honors. Two Movin Mavs won Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Honors, including one National Championship and Regional Honors at the Bayou Classic International Tennis Invitational. As part of a partnership with the Warrior Transition Command of the U.S. Army, three Movin Mavs and two staff coordinated two wheelchair basketball clinics and a two week clinic tournament for the 2011 Warrior Games sponsored by the Department of Defense and U.S. Paralympics. The Movin Mavs Adapted Sports program continues to grow. The staff worked with Campus Recreation to provide recreational opportunities in disability sport. Although the programs did not grow very much in numbers of participants, the staff met with the Office of Students with Disabilities and with the UT Arlington Chapter of Delta Alpha Pi (Disability Honor Society) to discuss how the current programs can increase student engagement and how continued partnership efforts can plan and implement more programs that will be of interest to students with disabilities in the future. The staff continues to work with Campus Recreation staff by providing information and training for their instructors in meeting the needs of students with disabilities. 1
As part of current U.S. Paralympics and Neilson Foundation grants, Coach Garner was able to expand competitive sport program offerings for athletes with disabilities. Four players attended the ITA Tennis National Championships in Mobile, AL and were able to attend tennis tournaments in Baton Rouge and Dallas- Fort Worth Regionals. Two students participated in swimming training this year and one will represent UT Arlington at the Endeavor Games in Edmund, OK this summer. These grants allowed for the purchase of two hand cycles for the athletes to use to cross train for basketball and personal fitness. These athletes will be participating in US Paralympics Clinics in cycling at the Endeavor Games and also compete in a 20K Road Race at this event. Grant support also allowed for the team to take a volunteer videographer to wheelchair basketball tournaments and live stream all of the Movin Mavs games for the University, as well as for the families and friends of student athletes who do not get to travel to see the team play. Community partnerships and outreach programs provided opportunities to work with several programs that provide sport and recreation services for people with disabilities. These included: Wheelchair Basketball Clinic in Shreveport, LA., Veterans WCBB clinics at Fort Hood, San Antonio and Harker Heights, working with Dallas Lady Mavericks on clinics and tournaments, working with Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks on clinics and tournaments, working with Dallas Mavericks on clinics and tournaments, hosting a wheelchair basketball/wheelchair tennis residential camp, hosting a USTA Wheelchair Tennis Run/Roll Tournament, working with DISD on KidNetic Games, working with Dallas VA Hospital to host a wheelchair field events clinic, working with US Paralympics to host a Regional Sport Meeting and clinic in field events and air rifle shooting, and hosting NWBA National Championships and Junior Regional Championships. Recruiting efforts during this season look good for next year and down the road. The Movin Mavs have signed six new athletes, including players coming in from Austria, Germany, Australia and Switzerland as well as two new players from the United States. These recruiting efforts were accomplished with one full time staff, one part time team manager, one graduate assistant athletic trainer, one graduate assistant intern, two volunteer assistant sport coaches, one volunteer videographer and three undergraduate interns through the Department of Kinesiology. 3. Facts and Figures 20 athletes and student staff received scholarships or assistantship funding through the Movin Mavs program. Over 3,500 people viewed the game and training videos posted on Movin Mavs TV. Over 5,000 people viewed the coaches education video posted by Movin Mavs on www.nwba.org. 45 junior athletes attended wheelchair basketball/wheelchair tennis camp this past year. 30 injured service veterans came to campus to participate in adapted sports programming in 2010-11. Over 2,500 people visited campus to participate in adapted sports programs, tournaments and clinics. 4. Assessment Highlights Success in completing the goals and objectives and learning outcomes was positive. Five Movin Mavs players and student staff graduated this year. The overall grade point average as a team was just above the 2.75 team goal. This season, 68% of the athletes and student staff met the program goals of a 2.75 cumulative or current grade point average. Two athletes were recognized as UT Arlington Scholar Athletes. For the next season we will explore linking the team goal grade point average with individual grade point averages and scholarship/financial assistance. All of the athletes achieved the cognitive goals in learning the game of wheelchair basketball and 88% of the athletes improved their fitness, speed, and agility goals for the year. Based on these numbers Coach Garner will continue to implement and evaluate the cognitive development of the athletes (based on Bloom s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain) as well as psychomotor development (based on Harrow s Taxonomy of the Psychomotor Domain). 2
5. Academic Collaborations The Movin Mavs were also busy on campus with academic partnerships with the following departments: Communications, Kinesiology, Multicultural Affairs, Leadership Center, English Language Institute, Veteran s Center, UTA Volunteers and Excel. Coach Garner had articles published in two publications and worked with the students from the Communications Department to produce a Coaches Education training video for the NWBA, U.S. Paralympics and the Movin Mavs website. He successfully wrote five grants totaling over $80,000 (to date) in funding for the program. He also presented two educational sessions at the 2011 U.S. Paralympics Leadership Conference in Colorado Springs (with students from Kinesiology and Communications Department), cooperated in research projects with Department of Kinesiology and represented the University at the Inclusive Fitness Coalition National Strategic Planning Symposium in Washington, DC. 6. Challenges The goal of the Movin Mavs program is to serve as a model program providing sport and recreation opportunities for students with disabilities. The program wants to represent the University at the highest levels on the courts, in the classroom and as leaders in the world of disability sport programming. The time involved in expanding current programs and services has helped generate revenue, but at a cost in time and other resources. This challenge must be met to ensure success in meeting the program goals. Partnering with the Office of Development may help with this challenge by providing grant-writing services, expanding the number of grants we are eligible for, by submitting proposals to non-profit organizations through the UT Arlington Community Foundation, and ultimately receiving more grants/funds. Growth in gender equity continues to be an area that needs to be improved on, as well. There are currently four teams in the NWBA Women s Division. In order to meet gender equity issues in programming and services, increased funding is needed to provide an Intercollegiate Women s Wheelchair Basketball Team and other Women s Sports. As the program continues to grow in the numbers of students served and programs offered, focus and organization must be maintained in order to continue to provide more quality programs and opportunities and to maintain UT Arlington s reputation as innovators and leaders in the field of disability sport. 7. Milestones Junior Transfer Malcolm Wright won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Championships in Mobile, Alabama. Graduate Assistant Player/Coach Jeff Sale finished as the National Runner-up in the Tier One Division. The Movin Mavs hosted a two Paralympics Sport Clinics for students with disabilities,, wounded service veterans and people in the community with disabilities. The clinics featured appearances by Paralympics Gold Medalist athletes and were covered by several DFW News Media. Sophomore John McPhail was selected for the Australian National Team, playing tours in Italy and winning a Gold Medal at the IWBF World Championships in Birmingham, England. The Movin Mavs hosted the Army WTU Camps and Clinics. Patrick Walker, reporter for the Fort Worth Times won a Barbara Jordan Media Award for his coverage of the Veteran s clinic. The Movin Mavs won the Gorilla Invitational Wheelchair Basketball Tournament in Pittsburg, KS. The Movin Mavs finished third in the NWBA Intercollegiate Division 2011 National Championships. Senior Kinesiology major and Team Captain, David Wilkes, was selected First Team All American. 3
Senior Co-Captain, James Patin was selected Second Team All American. Junior transfer, Juan Soto was selected to the Intercollegiate Division All Freshman Team. Coach Doug Garner and Graduate Assistant Tyler Garner presented two wheelchair basketball sessions at the 2011 US Paralympics Leadership Conference that were very well received. John McPhail and Shane Crider were named UTA Scholar Athletes. Coach Doug Garner presented three Coaches Education Sessions at the NWBA National Championships in Denver. Jeff Sale (Graduate Student) won the A Division Championships at the Cajun Classic International Wheelchair Tennis Tournament in Baton Rouge and Sr. James Patin won the B Division Title. The two teamed up to win the Overall Doubles Title for the tournament as well. Three Movin Mavs, Anthony Pone, Blake McMinn and Juan Soto were selected for the Army National Warrior Transition team that won the Gold Medal at the Warrior Games Championships in May. Coach Doug Garner and Graduate Assistant Tyler Garner were selected to Coach the Army National Team. Five Movin Mav athletes and student staff graduated/will graduate in Dec 10/Spring/Summer 2011: James Patin, wcbb/wc tennis (B.A. in Business Admin.), Jeff Sale, wc tennis, (B.A. in Business Admin), Anthony Pone, wcbb, (B.S.W.), Shane Crider wc rugby (B.S. Psychology,), Athletic Trainer Lauren Rhoads will receive her M.S. in Kinesiology in summer 2011. Two Movin Mavs athletes will compete in the 2011 Endeavor Games in wheelchair basketball, swimming, air rifle shooting and cycling The Movin Mavs hosted an Up/Down Tennis Tournament and six NWBA Wheelchair Basketball Tournaments, including the 2011 NWBA Intercollegiate Division National Championships. The National Championships was the first ever Intercollegiate Championships to host both a Men s and a Women s Division. Coach Doug Garner participated in the Inclusive Fitness Coalition National Strategic Policy Symposium in Washington, DC and met with State Senators and Representatives to discuss future policy direction in disability sport programming and services. The Movin Mavs received program grants from the Neilson Foundation, the United States Tennis Association and U.S. Paralympics to provide sport programming for students with disabilities. Junior Transfer Malcolm Wright won the Intercollegiate Tennis Championship (Tier 2) at the ITA National Championships in Mobile, AL and the C Division title at the Dallas Wheelchair Tennis Regionals. UT Arlington Coaching Staff produced several hours of a Coaching Education Video that is being linked to the Movin Mavs Web Site and the National Wheelchair Basketball Association website. 8. Feature Story The Movin Mavs program was approached this season by the U.S. Department of Defense through the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command Unit to see if a partnership could be established to provide training opportunities for injured service veterans. This would be in addition to the four injured service veterans already participating in the Movin Mavs collegiate program and others who have been participating in practices and scrimmages. A wheelchair basketball clinic and tournament was organized in December 2010 for 30 injured 4
Army service veterans, hosted on the UT Arlington campus and managed by the Movin Mavs staff and players. The Movin Mav staff were invited to coach the Army team for the 2011 Warrior Games and also hosted a spring clinic for the Army National Warrior Transition Unit Wheelchair Basketball National Team. At the spring clinic Time Warner Cable sent a news team that spent three hours filming footage and put together a 30 minute show about the partnership between the Movin Mavs program and the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command Unit. This show, featuring interviews with Movin Mavs players and coaches, will air twice a week for four months on Time Warner Cable before archiving on the Time Warner On Demand Channel. Three Movin Mavs players, all injured service veterans, were invited to participate on the Army Team. In May the Army Team, including Movin Mavs players and coaches, participated in a six day wheelchair basketball training at Fort Carson, CO. and then moved onto the grounds of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for the Warrior Games to begin competition against teams from the Marines, the Navy/Coast Guard and the Air Force. At the Warrior Games the Army won the gold medal by going undefeated, including two victories over the Marine team that beat the Army by 30 points in the 2010 Warrior Games. The rivalry between the Army and Marines is a very storied relationship in the military world. Army staff from Washington, including Generals and Cadre, all went out of their way to meet Movin Mavs staff and players on the Army team after these very celebrated victories! Movin Mavs staff and players were interviewed for hours after the Army team scored double digit victories every night and stories ran on the New York Times, USA Today, the Boston Globe, Armed Services Network, The Austin Statesman, Fort Worth Star Telegram and others. The UT Arlington name became nationally known in the military world with this relationship and doors were opened for further financial support in the future for the program. 9. Awards and Accolades Third Place Intercollegiate Division WC Basketball National Championships Two Scholar Athletes Two WCBB All Americans One WCBB All Rookie Team NASPA Excellence Award Silver Honoree One WC Tennis National Champion One WC Tennis National Runner-Up Three Wheelchair Tennis Regional Champions Three WCBB players named to Army National Warrior Games Team Staff published articles in National Magazine Two Staff named to Army National Warrior Games Team Staff 10. Student Success and Retention The Movin Mavs maintain high academic standards and a program designed to meet the cognitive, affective and psychomotor needs of young student athletes. Of the twenty student-athletes and student staff who participated this season, five graduate this year. Of the remaining 15, one will graduate with a master s degree in December 2011 and thirteen will maintain wheelchair basketball eligibility. The team grade point average increased this season and the majority of our student athletes/student staff will maintain their academic and sport eligibility. Of the twenty students associated with the program, one completed wheelchair basketball eligibility without finishing his degree (5%) and one did not maintain his academic eligibility for sports participation (5%). The Movin Mavs will continue with the required study hours and reporting system. In the works is a financial aid requirement for future students to maintain a 2.75 grade point average in order to keep their athletic scholarships or Movin Mavs financial assistance. 11. Cost Containment Measures 5
Bus travel for teams wherever possible (Bus = @$4500/trip, Air/rental = @$6500/trip), total saved for 3 trips ~ $6000. Utilize the travel site membership to get reduced hotel rates; average room cost/night went from $110 to $75 (40 nights X $35/night = $1400 saved). Ordered new basketballs through NWBA @$25/ball vs. $65/ball through online, total savings = $800. Ordered recording discs online vs. retail, total savings = $240 6