PUSH Podcast: Wheelchair Basketball in the United States

Steve is a four-time Paralympian and three-time medalist, and is just coming off of a repeat gold medal in the Tokyo games.

In this episode, we discuss Steve’s experience growing up in Long Island and discovering wheelchair basketball, his college and overseas career, and the lessons he’s learned from his Paralympic journey and beyond. I hope you enjoy my chat with Steve on this episode of the Push Podcast.

For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @the_push_podcast. You can also follow Steve on instagram @SteveSerio11.

Today, I’m interviewing Trooper Johnson, who recently resigned as coach of the USA Women’s National Team. Coach Johnson is a former US Men’s player, and has also coached at the junior, U23, U25, and Paralympic level. His recent resignation came shortly after his rehiring as the US Women’s coach, after allegations of emotional misconduct flooded facebook and instagram.

In this second installment of our two-part series, we’re diving into the allegations and the protocols that govern how the NWBA treats those allegations. And just as a quick disclaimer, the views expressed in this episode do not reflect the views of it’s creators. I hope you enjoy this episode of the PUSH podcast. For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @push_sports_mag.

Today we're with Kaitlyn Eaton and Morgan Wood - Kaitlyn is just coming off of her bronze medal in Tokyo. They have both represented team USA at the World Championships in Hamburg in 2018. Kaitlyn also played at the 2019 PanAmerican games in Lima, Peru and was assistant coach for the Illinois women’s wheelchair basketball team. Morgan is a two-time collegiate national champion with the Lady Movin Mavs at University of Texas-Arlington.

In this episode, we’re diving into the details of allegations of emotional misconduct against their former USA coach, Trooper Johnson. And just as a quick disclaimer, the views expressed in this episode do not reflect the views of it’s creators. I hope you enjoy this episode of the PUSH podcast.For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @push_sports_mag.

This is Push Podcast’s Special 2021 Wrapped edition with my co-host, Martinez Johnson. We discuss the wild Tokyo Paralympics that ended in medals for both USA men and women, the European Championships that were affected by COVID 19, and the controversial rehiring of coach Trooper Johnson that set off a social media firestorm. For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @the_push_podast. To stay updated with my co-host Martinez, follow him @mjthepicmaster.

Trevon Jenifer is a two-time Paralympic medalist, he holds a masters degree in Legal Studies and a Bachelors in Criminal Justice, he is the author of the book From the Ground Up, and recently he has been training for the Tokyo 2021 games.

In this episode, we discuss Trey’s experience as a multi-sport athlete, the authorship of his book at age 17, his journey to the London and Rio Paralympics, and the impact of Black voices in disabled sports. I hope you enjoy my chat with Trey on this episode of the Push Podcast. For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @push_sports_mag.To follow Trevon’s journey as he trains for the Tokyo 2021 games, follow him @TreyJenifer.

Jess is a coach and consultant for the ICRC who has implemented wheelchair basketball programs in 20+ countries across the globe. For the last decade, Jess has helped to expand wheelchair basketball in Afghanistan from 30 players to over 700 players across 10 provinces. He has also helped support programs in South Sudan, Syria, Palestine, Myanmar, Lebanon, Bangladesh, and Cambodia, among other countries. 

In this episode, we discuss the importance of real empathy in international work, Afghanistan’s first victory in an international tournament, how his work with South Sudanese player Malat Wei went viral, and the transition to virtual basketball training during the COVID pandemic. I hope you enjoy part two my chat with Jess on this episode of the Push Podcast.  

For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @the_push_podast. If you’re interested in seeing more about the ICRC’s disability inclusion work, follow Jess on twitter @jessmarkt.

Jess is a coach and consultant for the ICRC who has implemented wheelchair basketball programs in 20+ countries across the globe. For the last decade, Jess has helped to expand wheelchair basketball in Afghanistan from 30 players to over 700 players across 10 provinces. He has also helped support programs in South Sudan, Syria, Palestine, Myanmar, Lebanon, Bangladesh, and Cambodia, among other countries. 

In this episode, we discuss Jess’s beginnings in wheelchair basketball, how the ICRC Disability Inclusion program came into being, and the unique challenges and rewards of international work. I hope you enjoy my chat with Jess on this episode of the Push Podcast.  For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @the_push_podast. If you’re interested in seeing more about the ICRC’s disability inclusion work, follow Jess on twitter @jessmarkt.

Dylan is a collegiate national champion, represented the United States at the Under-20 and Under-23 levels, and is a Paralympic hopeful for Paris 2024, along with being the newest point guard for the RSB Thuringia Bulls, one of the strongest and most storied professional clubs in Germany.

In this episode, we discuss Dylan’s early successes in wheelchair basketball after overcoming childhood cancer, the importance of fostering mental health in adaptive sports, and how the challenges of leading his college team Wisconsin-Whitewater set him up to sign a pro contract in Germany. I hope you enjoy my chat with Dylan on this episode of the Push Podcast. For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @the_push_podast. To follow Dylan’s journey as he plays professionally in Germany, follow him @dylanfischbach30.

Rose Hollerman is a Gold medalist, a two-time Paralympian, and and recently she has been training for the Tokyo 2021 games.

In this episode, we discuss Rose's juniors career with the Courage Center in Minnesota, the heartbreak of London 2012, and her and her team's rise to top of women's wheelchair basketball in Rio 2016. I hope you enjoy part one of my chat with Rose on this episode of the Push Podcast. For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @push_sports_mag.To follow Rose’s journey as she trains for the Tokyo 2021 games, follow her @rholler54.

Matt Buchi has been head coach of the Fighting Illini Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team Since 2013. Matt has acted as assistant coach for the Fighting Illini Men, the Alabama Women, and the USA Women’s National Team. After his assistant coaching career, he took up Head Coaching at Oklahoma State University before landing his dream job as Head Coach at the University of Illinois.

In this episode, we discuss Matt’s transition from college basketball player to coach, the international experiences that strengthened his love for coaching, and the unique challenges that come from this season as well as the future of the college division. I hope you enjoy my chat with Matt in this episode of the Push Podcast. For more wheelchair basketball content, follow my instagram @push_sports_mag. To learn more about the Illinois wheelchair basketball program, follow them on instagram at @illiniwcbb.

Note: the coach quoted as saying “Ask me in [10] years and we’ll see how successful these [my team is] Then I’ll be able to tell you if I succeeded as a coach” is Coach Ward Lambert, who coached John Wooden as a college basketball player at Purdue University.