2008 Woodie Awards
Steel City Slam
Quad rugby tournament featured 8 teams battling for the title of champions
By Amber Wilhelm
Rocket Contributor
Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Focus
"My chair was rocking too much and he was fixing it," Zacks said.
Zacks, of Erie, Pa., plays for the Steel Wheelers.
"There's another guy in Erie who told me about (quad rugby), and I started playing," Zacks said. "You have to play on the team that's closest to you."
Bob Eyler, 42, of the Steel Wheelers, started this tournament five years ago and brought it to SRU after some difficulties getting facilities to use at other locations.
"Though our players come from all over western Pennsylvania, we are considered a Pittsburgh team," Eyler said. "So we wanted to have the tournament in Pittsburgh, but we had trouble finding gym space. For us to try to go out and find 25 people that can volunteer (at the tournament) for half the day to run all the courts would be really difficult."
Therefore, the Steel Wheelers decided to try their luck at SRU.
"Slippery Rock (University), the ARC and all the students have been such a tremendous help that made it so easy for us to have it here," Eyler said. "Particularly, the student volunteers have been a huge benefit."
Martin Larocque, 40, plays for the Ottawa Stingers.
"I was injured in 1987, and I learned about the sport while I was in rehab, so I've been playing for 19 years," Larocque said.
He said there is a point system the coaches must obey to decide who can play during the game.
"Each player is classified by his level of ability and mobility," Lacocque said. "A 0.5 is your player with the least function and a 3.5 is your player with the most, and you can only have eight points on the court at a time."
Larocque said there is a controversy about the point system, though.
"Any player that's over 45 years of age and female players automatically get deducted a 0.5," Larocque said. "Everyone has their opinion on if that's right."
Though quad rugby is a contact sport with wheelchairs and the players wreck into each other seemingly without hesitation, there are regulations.
"If you get hit anywhere on the chair, it's legal, except if you hit behind the axel or primary wheel and make the person change directions in a violent manner," Berwick said.
Like other sports, players get penalties for violations.
Berwick said the most common penalty is the "illegal use of hands, which is comparable to reaching in basketball."
"If a player reaches in and touches the player before they touch the ball, that's a penalty [too]," Berwick said.
Eyler said due to the success of the tournament at SRU, it will more than likely be back for years to come.
"People really like this tournament and the facility," Eyler said.
Zacks, of Erie, Pa., plays for the Steel Wheelers.
"There's another guy in Erie who told me about (quad rugby), and I started playing," Zacks said. "You have to play on the team that's closest to you."
Bob Eyler, 42, of the Steel Wheelers, started this tournament five years ago and brought it to SRU after some difficulties getting facilities to use at other locations.
"Though our players come from all over western Pennsylvania, we are considered a Pittsburgh team," Eyler said. "So we wanted to have the tournament in Pittsburgh, but we had trouble finding gym space. For us to try to go out and find 25 people that can volunteer (at the tournament) for half the day to run all the courts would be really difficult."
Therefore, the Steel Wheelers decided to try their luck at SRU.
"Slippery Rock (University), the ARC and all the students have been such a tremendous help that made it so easy for us to have it here," Eyler said. "Particularly, the student volunteers have been a huge benefit."
Martin Larocque, 40, plays for the Ottawa Stingers.
"I was injured in 1987, and I learned about the sport while I was in rehab, so I've been playing for 19 years," Larocque said.
He said there is a point system the coaches must obey to decide who can play during the game.
"Each player is classified by his level of ability and mobility," Lacocque said. "A 0.5 is your player with the least function and a 3.5 is your player with the most, and you can only have eight points on the court at a time."
Larocque said there is a controversy about the point system, though.
"Any player that's over 45 years of age and female players automatically get deducted a 0.5," Larocque said. "Everyone has their opinion on if that's right."
Though quad rugby is a contact sport with wheelchairs and the players wreck into each other seemingly without hesitation, there are regulations.
"If you get hit anywhere on the chair, it's legal, except if you hit behind the axel or primary wheel and make the person change directions in a violent manner," Berwick said.
Like other sports, players get penalties for violations.
Berwick said the most common penalty is the "illegal use of hands, which is comparable to reaching in basketball."
"If a player reaches in and touches the player before they touch the ball, that's a penalty [too]," Berwick said.
Eyler said due to the success of the tournament at SRU, it will more than likely be back for years to come.
"People really like this tournament and the facility," Eyler said.
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