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Lady Celts Play Sitting Volleyball With Veterans With Disabilities
2/6/2009
 Members of the University of St. Thomas Lady Celts Volleyball team were invited to play in a “sitting volleyball” tournament at the “Metal & Muscle Expo” on Jan. 17 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The UST student athletes played on a team with veterans with physical disabilities from the women’s United States Paralympic Sitting Volleyball Beijing Silver Medalist team.
Sitting volleyball is just like regular volleyball except the players are “sitting” on the floor. The same rules apply, but one portion of the player’s posterior must be in contact with the floor whenever contact with the ball is made. Players with disabilities (amputees) were teamed up with able-bodied players and each team had one Paralympic athlete. Other Metal & Muscle Expo events included power soccer for motorized wheelchairs, judo for the blind, wheelchair racing clinic, wheelchair basketball, running clinic for amputees, challenge course – wheelchair slalom, running clinic for the blind and wheelchair rugby.
 The US Paralympic Military Program is for military men and women who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with a permanent physical disability including blind and visually impaired. All veterans with a physical disability and other local people with a physical disability were invited to participate. The Metal & Muscle Expo featured Paralympic and other disabled sport clinics, as well as individual and team competitions. The event served as an opportunity to introduce those with recent injuries to a new way of participating in competitive sports. View the program flyer.
“The UST student athletes and I had an amazing time,” said Head Volleyball Coach Jill Reynolds. “We were touched by the stories told by each person and their positive attitudes. To top off the day, we won the tournament. In addition to the regular tournament, the members from the men's and women's Paralymic Team wanted to play against the UST team members. They beat us, but it was so much fun and it seemed to delight the Paralympic Team to play and stomp the “university girls.” Although we were extremely sore, it was a great experience for us all. The team is still talking about it.”
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