Whether you’ve been playing for decades or have never touched a basketball chair, there’s a place for you on the court.
The Gem State Falcons are Idaho’s first National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) team, and we’re built on a simple idea: competitive sport should be open to everyone, regardless of ability.
You don’t need experience, all you need is the willingness to try. Our prep team welcomes kids ages 6–13, junior varsity is 14-17, and our adult roster (18+) competes across the West in the NWBA. New players, families, and longtime athletes all find the same thing here: fast-paced basketball, real camaraderie, and a community that shows up for one another on and off the court.
Adults
(18+)
Junior Varsity
(14-17)
Prep
(6-13)
Let’s get the ball rolling …
Fill out the form below to join! Once you join, we’ll reach out to you with welcome information. If you need information before joining, please feel free to contact us, browse the FAQs on our About page.
To be eligible to play in the NWBA, a player shall have … (please read)
A permanent physical disability which consistently reduces the function of the lower limbs to a degree where they cannot run, pivot or jump at the speed and with the control safety, stability and endurance required to play running basketball as an able bodied player;
A disability that must be of a nature that it can be objectively verified by acknowledged medical and/or paramedical investigations such as measurement, X-ray, CT, MRI, etc.;
Including, but not limited to hip or knee joint replacements, and have provided confirmation of the relevant surgery from their attending physician or surgeon, and supporting X-rays/scans;
In the instance of amputation, at minimum total removal of the first ray of one foot;
In the instance of a leg length discrepancy, a minimum of a 6 cm difference in leg length as measured from the greater trochanter to the ground, as is verified by standing X-ray or confirmed by a measurement taken by a NWBA Classifier, except that the 6 cm minimum shall not apply to players for participation in the Junior Division.
Findings such as soft tissue contracture, edema or disuse atrophy, or symptoms such as pain or numbness without other objective findings shall not be considered a permanent lower extremity disability. Degrees of pain and/or numbness are not considered measurable and permanent disabilities within the meaning of Article 1, Section 1 of the NWBA Polices & Procedures.
An otherwise able-bodied player with a temporary disability is not considered eligible.
To be eligible to participate in any NWBA competitions, a player who does not have a lower extremity impairment which can be clearly established by observation alone will need to apply for consideration of their eligibility to the NWBA in accordance with Article 1, Section 5 of these policies and procedures. This application will be forwarded to the Classification Player Eligibility Committee for determination.
A player deemed eligible to play by the NWBA Eligibility Committee shall receive a letter confirming his/her eligibility. At the first official competition where a classification panel is present the player will present a proposed classification and will be observed during game situations. At the end of the competition the player will receive their certified classification if there was sufficient observation time.