The Tampa Thunder, Tampa's very own power wheelchair soccer team, looks to bring home the BraunAbility 2012 Premier Cup Championship in June. Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation will host the BraunAbility 2012 Power Wheelchair National Championship on June 15-17 at All People's Life Center, 6105 E. Sligh Ave. in Tampa, as 10 Premier Conference teams meet for the title.
Hillsborough County was awarded the bid to host the national tournament based on the strength and national recognition of the Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay program, and on a high-quality bid packet.
Power Soccer is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users. These athletes include persons with quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy,cerebral palsy, head trauma, stroke, spinal cord injury and other disabilities.
This sport combines the skill of the wheelchair user with the speed and power of the chair itself, to participate in an extremely challenging game similar to soccer. The game is played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court. Two teams of four power wheelchair users attack, defend and spin-kick a 13-inch soccer ball in an attempt to score goals.
The Tampa Thunder has played in more than 150 games and competed in more than 25 regional and national tournaments since 2004. The Tampa Thunder is currently ranked third in the nation.
For additional information, contact Andy Chasanoff at All Peoples Life Center at 813-744-5307 or 813-892-0053.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
