History of Thames Valley Vikings – wheelchair basketball club
The Thames Valley Vikings Wheelchair Basketball Club was founded in 2004; by Jacqueline Cass aged 19 at the time. A fun day was held which highlighted a need for a club in Berkshire, the idea for the team came as Jacqueline was completing her Queens Guide Award and had a community clause for which she thought that setting up a wheelchair basketball team would benefit the local community. Jacqueline took it upon herself to train as a coach for wheelchair basketball, she self funded herself for the course, which was held at Stoke Mandeville stadium in August 2004.
Since then Jacqueline has organised and run training session at the local leisure centre in Thatcham, organising the players, volunteers and content of the sessions, as well as for the transporting of the 15 sports wheelchairs from her house where they are stored. Jacqueline has almost singled handily organised the fundraising of nearly 22 thousand pounds to buy, 15 special adaptive sports wheelchairs, the basketballs themselves, and also 2 training hoop so that younger members of the team can join in with shooting practise.
Jacqueline started the club which at that time mainly had adults that attended the regular training sessions, but others commitments such as university has meant that the team in now a junior team, Jacqueline coaches players as young as 7. Benefits to the players included improving their co-ordination, confidence, increasing their fitness levels, team building, social skills such as their enthusiasm and energy towards others, also those relevant to playing wheelchair basketball. Jacqueline’s hopes for 2012 paralympics to be a volunteer or assistant for wheelchair basketball at the games, some of the current players are aiming to be at the 2012 games, hopefully playing! Jacqueline is entering a team into this year’s junior league, she is liaising with other coaches and from the South to co-ordinate a team for the regional junior championship games.
Jacqueline organised for the team to take part in a demonstration game at Reading Rockets showing the crowd how wheelchair basketball is played. The Vikings also played against the rockets players themselves, with the team playing in wheelchairs. The Vikings have played in home and away matches with the Rushmoor mallard marvels in Farnborough, including Meeting Ade Adepitan at 12 hour sponsored event held by their team. Jacqueline also organised for one of the GB under 23 players came to one of the Vikings sessions to talk about playing basketball at a young age, and also at a competitive level. He also helped during the training session giving coaching tips to many of the players.
Jacqueline is raising the awareness of disabled people and their needs especially in sport in Thatcham, and the local area. Jacqueline has publicised as many advents as possible that the club has taken part in, through the local paper and radio stations and also by attending many events and keeping a website up to date with the clubs developments. Jacqueline also keeps a photo album, press cutting book and DVD’s of important things the Vikings have done. Jacqueline has given speeches at 2 AGM, for 2 of the charities that donated money towards the Vikings. The Mayor of Thatcham has also taken part in one of the open training sessions playing in the sports wheelchair, as the Vikings were part of the festival of leisure and arts that is run yearly by Thatcham Town council with Jacqueline organising all the necessary for the event to take place.
Jacqueline who is 22 years old works full time as an Occupational Therapy assistant at the West Berks community hospital, Jacqueline has just started in her 2nd year of her degree in Occupational Therapy at Oxford Brookes University, she has chosen to study at a university close to home as she did not want to move away from the area and give up the basketball. Jacqueline also works at the local leisure centre one evening a week as a receptionist; which is where the training sessions are held.
Jacqueline has volunteers that help at the wheelchair Basketball sessions, many of whom are completing their Duke of Edinburgh award. Jacqueline is keen to help other people to achieve person targets and to gain awards in recognition of the volunteering work they complete with the club.
Thames Valley Vikings/Kings 