鈥榃CSH鈥� and 鈥楾he Forecaster鈥� highlight Occupational Therapy wheelchair rugby event
On April 27, 2018, the Northeast Passage Wildcats, northern New England鈥檚 only competitive quad rugby team, faced off against 麻豆传媒students in a hands-on, interprofessional exhibition game. Designed to give occupational therapy students a chance to learn more about adaptive sports, the event brought together students from several programs for an afternoon of fast-paced fun.
鈥淚 want people to put themselves in our clients鈥� shoes,鈥� said Sidney Bast (鈥�18), Master of Science in Occupational Therapy student and co-organizer of the event. 鈥淭he Wildcats are in the teaching role, and it鈥檚 been incredibly valuable to learn from them.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good way for me to think creatively about opportunities that I can give future clients,鈥� added co-organizer Julia Velmer (Occupational Therapy, 鈥�). 鈥淧reviously, I had no idea that this sport existed.鈥�
Quad rugby (or wheelchair rugby) is a full-contact sport, where physical contact between wheelchairs is an integral part of the game. The game is played on an indoor basketball court with a volleyball. The object of the game is to score a goal by crossing the goal line with possession of the ball.
Bill Bouffard, team representative for the Wildcats, discussed the ways that the sport fosters camaraderie and brings together athletes of all abilities. 鈥淓ven if you鈥檙e not passionate about the sport, you鈥檒l be around guys who have been through everything, and they鈥檒l share their experiences with you and welcome you into the fold.鈥�
To learn more about the 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Westbrook College of Health Professions, visit www.une.edu/wchp
To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions
