6.12. National Wheelchair Softball Association

Overview: 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. Today, NWSA governs over 30 teams worldwide. Several teams have sought and found allegiance and sponsorship with their Major League Baseball (MLB) team counterparts, such as the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, and Tampa Bay Rays. All wear official MLB logos and uniforms and compete with pride under their respective professional team’s logo. International teams are welcome to compete in the annual World Series. A team from Japan has competed in the past two WSWS.

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United Spinal Association