Milwaukee Eagles, Houston Apollos Win Wheelchair Lacrosse Championships

Wheelchair Lacrosse USA (WLUSA), the governing body of wheelchair lacrosse in the United States, hosted its annual national championship last week, with 10 participating teams from across the country helping to make the 2023 event the biggest one in the organization’s history.

The Milwaukee Eagles (Division A) and Houston Apollos (Division B) claimed championships following the three-day tournament that concluded Sunday at Buffalo RiverWorks, an events and entertainment center located on the banks of the Buffalo (N.Y.) River.

“That was a great weekend and great venue for Wheelchair Lacrosse,” said Norm Page, the director of Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports who coordinated many of the event’s logistics. “We had two rinks in use throughout the tournament, with a brewery and restaurant attached. Having everything in one spot was incredible. Everyone loved it.”

Page and others offered four takeaways from the 2023 WLUSA Nationals.

1. The sport is growing.

With 10 teams and nearly 150 athletes, the 2023 Nationals were the largest in the WLUSA’s history. Partnerships and affiliations with other lacrosse organizations, from USA Lacrosse to professional teams like the Buffalo Bandits and Colorado Mammoth, help to further lift the sport’s profile.

“We want this sport to get to the point where there are more than just one or two teams that can win championships,” said Ken Lee, one of the founders of the Milwaukee Eagles. “We’ve been trying to win Nationals for eight years, so this has been really great.”

Having both of this year’s championship games decided by one goal is evidence of the competitive balance that is now emerging. The Houston team that won the B Division made its first Nationals appearance just a year ago.

“The talent and level of competition gets better every year,” said Shawn Maloney, a member of the Colorado Rolling Mammoth and a regional manager for USA Lacrosse.

“We want to keep raising the bar and finding more athletes,” Page said. “This is an incredible sport. The goal is always to keep growing the game.”

2. Venue choice is important.

Given the growth of the WLUSA Nationals, having two rinks available to accommodate all the games has become a necessity. The 2023 schedule began with three games on Friday, which helped lighten the number of games needed on Saturday and Sunday.

“We really need two rinks now to get all the games played in a timely way,” Page said. “And some of the other subtle amenities are great, like having ramps instead of steps, and enough handicap parking spaces, and open space where the athletes can store their chairs around the rinks.”

Saturday evening’s social was held at a brewery that adjoins the event center, minimizing the need for transport for the athletes and providing the public with an opportunity to watch the athletes in action on the rinks.

“The athletes were able to easily roll into the brewery for the Saturday night social,” Maloney said. 

3. Small details make a big difference.

From hotel choices to volunteer support, the small details can enhance the experience for all participants. One of the official hotels for the Buffalo event was the local Hampton Inn, which was the first in the Hilton chain to incorporate universal design features that make all rooms accessible.

Having enough volunteers for all the game operations and support services is also important for a well-run tournament.

“All of our volunteers showed up on time, which really helped,” Page said. “This was a huge community effort and everything went really, really smoothly. The community here is incredible.”

4. The future is bright.

This year, the WLUSA provided video streaming for all 30 games at Nationals. The financial commitment to making that happen was seen as an investment in the future.

“The live streaming was a huge plus and a critical component for exposing our sport,” Lee said. “It’s a great vehicle for recruiting new players. We want the world to see us.”

One of the future options that the WLUSA is considering is the introduction of regional tournaments that will serve as qualifiers for the Nationals. Regional play would provide more opportunities for localized participation while also reducing the burden of distant travel for some teams.

“I think that’s going to happen as our growth continues,” Lee said. “Then we’ll have a true Nationals format.”