Wheelchair Basktball Canada announced a summary of rule and format changes to Domestic programs, effective immediately for the 2012-2013 Wheelchair Basketball season.
1) Men’s National Championships
Wheelchair Basketball Canada would like to inform its membership that there will not be a Men’s National Championship held during the 2012-2013 season. This decision was made in consultation with provincial members, the domestic committee and after an extensive competition review. It is our intent to continue to strive to provide the best playing opportunities to our athletes. The competition review committee will continue to look at the structure of our competitions and will be making a recommendation as to what type of national event would best suit our membership’s needs. In lieu of Nationals in 2012-2013 we will continue to host CWBL Finals and changes to this tournament are outlined below.
2) The Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL)
Open Division
Through extensive competition review conducted over the past year, the CWBL Open Division will undergo the following modifications, and will be our signature event for 2012-13:
a. The CWBL Open Finals will be open to all active CWBL Open Division teams for the 2012-2013 season. Teams will no longer be required to win their conference in order to attend. Letters of Intent will be due by the end of 2012, with Performance Bonds and final rosters due February 1st, 2013.
b. In order to align our domestic programs with Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s Athlete Development Model, the decision has been made to move to IWBF classification (1.0 – 4.5), and to remove all age-related advantages from the CWBL Open Division, as well as Junior Competitions. Any player whose skills and abilities are at level appropriate to the level of play is welcome and encouraged to compete at their officially assigned classification.
c. The annual awards banquet will be held at CWBL Finals.
Women’s Division
This event will take place in conjunction with Defi Sportif in 2013. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.
3) Junior Division Format
The competition review also aimed to align Canada’s Junior and Mini programming with Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s Athlete Development Model. In order to do so, effective for the 2012-2013 season, the following will occur:
a. Wheelchair Basketball Canada will publish recommended rules for mini-level (Learn to Train, Train to Train phase I and II) players, but will not sanction events for this age group.
b. Junior-aged (Canada Games age & Train to Compete stage) athletes will participate in competition appropriate to the Train to Compete stage of athlete development. To facilitate this, Regional Competition (East and West) in Years 1 and 2 of the Canada Games quadrennial will be conducted in a 3 on 3 format. Year 3 will continue to be a Junior National Championship (5 on 5), as a seeding tournament for the following year’s Canada Games.
c. As mentioned above, age-related classification advantages will no longer be used at the Junior level. Athletes who are in the Train to Compete stage as a younger athlete are welcome and encouraged to compete at their official classification.
As your clubs and teams plan their season please ensure this information is communicated and shared. In addition, if CWBL Conferences/divisions are having planning meetings or conference calls and would like a WBC staff person present to answer questions, contact Christina Swett at the office. Christina is available to discuss the above rule changes and answer any questions. Please contact 613 260 1296 ext 205, or cswett@wheelchairbasketball.ca.
