Rebecca Greene got involved with Wheelchair Basketball by chance.
In high school, Greene sought opportunities to help in her community and do some volunteer work when she discovered the sport.
Greene initially started volunteer coaching with a local multi-sport program – her first exposure to parasport.
“I’ve always enjoyed sports, generally,” said Greene. “Growing up, I played soccer, hockey, swimming, and some standup ball. I benefited greatly from all the coaches who volunteered their time over the years. I wanted to give back to that sport community in some way. So when I started volunteering with wheelchair basketball, I didn’t know a lot about it at the time, but I loved it from the start. And I had the opportunity to learn from a great coach – Todd Hickey.”
In addition to Hickey, Greene notes Gary Power has been a mentor for her in Wheelchair Basketball since she first started in the sport over 10 years ago. Power helped Greene coordinate Wheelchair Basketball demos for various community groups in Newfoundland.
After a few years of coaching, the 26-year-old loved the sport so much; she began playing. It allowed Greene to play sport with her friends who have disabilities – another reason she was drawn to Wheelchair Basketball.
“When I first started coaching, I didn’t know that I could play because I’m able-bodied,” Greene explained. “I found I really liked the sport, and I felt playing helped me learn a lot more about the game than I could from just coaching. Playing gave me some insight into coaching.
“I was coaching in Newfoundland leading up to the 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer, and then I started training a little bit more because I really loved it and because we needed more players.”
Playing Wheelchair Basketball gave the Outer Cove, Nfld. native better perspective on the game, which ultimately helped her with coaching.
“Just getting a sense of the little things with the game and the nuances. Aspects of the game I wouldn’t have picked up on without playing,” she said. “I had played standup basketball, so I had the basketball IQ and sort of the sense of timing and everything, but it’s just different when you get to play.”
Wheelchair Basketball also helped shape her career path off the court. Greene initially began her post-secondary studies in the Geology program at Memorial University in Newfoundland but gravitated to the Kinesiology program because of her involvement in parasport.
Greene graduated with her Bachelor of Kinesiology from Memorial University and completed a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Toronto.
She now works as a lab instructor at Memorial University while continuing her efforts to grow the game of Wheelchair Basketball in Newfoundland.
“I love talking to people about Wheelchair Basketball. For people who are into team sports, I always encourage them to come out and try it – see if they like it,” Greene said. “It’s a really welcoming community, and people are more than willing to help you out when you’re learning. I always explain how the sport is for everyone.”
Greene hopes to run coaching clinics to help increase awareness about the game in her home province – something that has received support from her mentor, Power.
“One of the things I’ve been planning is a session with a rehab hospital here in St. John’s with some prosthetists and orthotists, as well as some occupational therapists and physiotherapists,” she said. “It’s going to be a two-hour session talking about the sport, explaining classification, and then getting into chairs. The session will give the rehab professionals some hands-on experience in the sport, and I hope to provide some education about how they can help with the rehab to sport transition.
“I think that’ll be part of helping us grow the game and acquire some players.”