Chicago Adaptive Sports
Chicago Park District - Special Recreation – Adaptive Sport Program
Daniel Ferreira – Adaptive Sport Program & Event Facilitator
Mayors Report 1/16/19
Chicago Skyhawk Ixhelt Gonzalez is Once Again Selected to the United States Women’s Senior Wheelchair Basketball Team and the U25 Women’s Team:
Our Chicago Skyhawks Wheelchair Basketball Program is excited to announce that Chicago’s very own Ixhelt Gonzalez has once again made the cut with the US Women’s Wheelchair Basketball program. In 2018 Ixhelt was the youngest players to ever be selected to the Sr. team and 2019 she is one of the youngest athletes on the team once again. The coaching staff’s process as they prepare for the 2019 ParaPan American Games in Lima, Peru from August 23 – September 1st.
Ixhelt was one of two athletes from Chicago who travelled to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO as Chicago Skyhawk alumni and current University of Illinois Fighting Illini athlete Stella McMillan attended her first tryout camp. The coaching staff selected nineteen athletes who will attend monthly training camps and a final tryout camp where the team will be cut to twelve.
At this camp the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) High Performance Committee and National Team Staff selected a team for the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) Women’s U25 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships on May 22 to the 30th in Suphanburi, Thailand. Ixhelt is one of seven athletes from the 2018 team that attended the IWBF Gold Cup. This experience will help greatly with Ixhelt’s development and preparation for the team attending the Para-Pan Games.
The Basketball Bonanza VIII will also host a tournament for the NWBA Junior Prep Division (for children 6 – 12 years of age) on Saturday, January 19th with games beginning at 8:30 am. The Skyhawks are always recruiting new athletes with a permanent physical disability. Illinois has the most active wheelchair basketball communities in the United States as Chicago alone has five different teams for youth and adults.
Ixhelt will be showcasing her talents this weekend with her Skyhawk teammates on Sunday January 20, 2018 at Warren Park (6601 N. Western Ave.) as the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Chicago Park District is hosting the annual Basketball Bonanza VIII. The tournament for the NWBA Junior 10’ Division will be a round robin format and the Skyhawks are playing at 8:30 am vs. Synergy Jr. Bulls, 3:10 pm vs. WASA Jr. Bucks, and 4:35 pm vs. LWSRA Hawks
The Basketball Bonanza VIII will also host a tournament for the NWBA Junior Prep Division (for children 6 – 12 years of age) on Saturday, January 19th with games beginning at 8:30 am. The Skyhawks are always recruiting new athletes with a permanent physical disability. Illinois has the most active wheelchair basketball communities in the United States as Chicago alone has five different teams for youth and adults.
Ixhelt Gonzalez (#27) and Stella McMillan (#8) at the Toyota Team USA Women's Selection Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Ixhelt's Team USA Photo.
The first camp is a big step for former Skyhawk Stella McMillan, who is currently attending the University of Illinois.