By:Julia Smith

Tuscaloosa Ala.- Teammates on the Alabama women’s wheelchair basketball team hung their jerseys up for the night and left their basketball shoes at home. Teammates dressed their very best and took plenty of pictures as they received their 2019 championship rings.

Juice (Arinn) Young shared this picture on her Instagram posing with her teammates in Stran – Harden Arena during the ring ceremony.

For many players on the team, this was not their first time receiving a championship ring, for the team has won the championship consistently since 2017.

Many players did not get the chance to earn another ring before they graduated. Like many tournaments, the women’s wheelchair basketball playoffs were canceled due to the pandemic that has effected the world.

The Crimson Tide was undefeated until the final game before the championship against Illinois.

Like many players, the championship in March would have been the last time playing for the Tide. Young says on social media that she is heartbroken and is still trying to wrap her mind around not being able to play in the championship she and her team had been working so hard for all season.

“Months and months of training just to have our college nationals taken away” Young said.

Young thanked her coach, teammates and everyone that has been by her side while playing for Alabama.

“I believe this is only fueling my hunger to be the best even more.” Young said.

The Adapted Athletics program also posted on their social media thanking everyone who had cheered on the team throughout the season.

“We could not have done it without you” the program said, “The season did not end like we planned, but we are proud of the accomplishments both women and men’s basketball teams made this year.”

By: Julia Smith

Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Alabama Senior Sarah Maynard, plays for the Alabama women’s wheelchair team. Maynard has played for the Crimson Tide for four years and is anxious for the games coming up.

The women’s team is currently in an undefeated season only a couple games away from the championship. Maynard has won a championship with Alabama before, but this year she is anxious.

“I am nervous with not losing a game yet” Maynard said, “but of the four years playing at Alabama, this year’s team has the most chemistry”.

Maynard has become good friends with her teammates and couldn’t be happier, but if you asked her where she would see herself now seven years ago, she would never believe she would still being playing a sport she loves.

• Pictured: Maynard playing shock put in high school after her accident. Photo provided by: star-telegram.com

In Pester Texas, Maynard was an all-star athlete. She played volleyball, softball and of course basketball. Her childhood consisted of playing sports, but when she was 13, all her joy was taken away.

The Maynard family was packing up for a trip to the lake. Sarah was helping her mom pack up the trailer when the trailer lost control and went into hydroplane. From the accident, Maynard broke her back and injured her spinal cord.

The picture to right, was shared by Maynard’s family through a Facebook page giving friends and family updates on her recovery. Although Maynard is star on the court now, she almost didn’t play for Alabama.

“I thought wheelchair basketball looked lame “Maynard said. “I thought that probably everyone that watch the sport would pity the players”.

Maynard started playing wheelchair basketball her senior year of high school and applied to several schools with the program.

“I looked at Arizona, Illinois and Alabama and even though Arizona had palm trees, I loved Alabama’s aspect of having a family” Maynard said.

Once she joined Alabama, she admits that she didn’t feel like she was living for the team, but once the team won a championship, she felt the love for basketball again.

Maynard loves being a part of the Crimson Tide playing the game she loves the most. Although her life took a turn after the accident, she advises anyone who goes through a similar situation to never to give up.

“No matter how much you think it isn’t for you, stuck with it and your former ability will translate” Maynard said.

By Julia Smith

Tuscaloosa– It was the beginning of her wheelchair basketball career. A farm girl from Alberta, Canada, started playing for a team and her eyes, she sucked. There were only six players at the game and only five could be on the court. A player got hurt during the game and she went in. For 35 minutes, she was dying, flushed in the face unable to finish the game. The coach called a time out and she rushed to the side. “You look pale”, the coach said, and he gave her a “magical” juice. After fueling up, she returned to the game but something had changed. The player had her first high scoring game, saved the team and the magic juice had worked. From that point on she was no longer known as Arinn Young, she was Juice!

“A lot of people think I am scary” Juice said, “but when you get to know me I am a big goof ball”.

From playing for Alabama to representing Canada in the olympics, Juice is known internationally as one of the best players in wheelchair basketball. Not only does her skill make her intimidating on the court, Juice says she gets her toughness form growing up on a farm.

“I may come off intimidating, but the only reason is because I want to keep raising the bar” Juice said.

Juice originally played able body basketball. During her time playing, she shattered her right knee and both her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and meniscus. After returning to the sport a year later, something happened that changed the game.

“After intercepting a ball, I landed on my leg funny and shattered my knee and broke my left leg, so I was pretty much done” Juice said.

“This was a hard time for me knowing I was pretty much done with basketball.” I was really angry, I was not right in my head and asked myself all the time why did this happen to me “Juice said.

Luckily, a family friend of Juice’s knew of a wheel chair basketball team in Canada and showed her a way she could get back to playing a game she loves.

“I was not really into it right away, but one time I apologized to a girl after grabbing her ball and she said, ‘we don’t apologize in this sport'”Juice said.

In 2012, Juice started playing wheelchair basketball and to her she thought “she sucked”.

Juice is in the gym 10 hours more than any other athlete in adapted athletics. She is constantly working on her shooting skills and lifting to make sure she stays on top.

Juice moved from Alberta in 2014 to play for a wheelchair basketball program in Toronto. Shortly after, she received a call from The University of Alabama.

“A lot of Canadians come to Alabama, even the best players come here”Juice said. “My biggest role model went to this school and had such a good experience and I wanted the same thing”.

Juice joined the team in 2016 and jumped right into a leadership role.

“This was a year for all new players, so I kind of just jumped in to be a captain because I knew this was something I wanted to do ” Juice said.

Besides playing for Alabama, Juice is very honored to have represented Canada in the 2016 olympics in Rio, and is representing the country again in this years Olympics.

“When I found out I made the team, I think I was smiling for about half of that year” Juice said.

When she originally got hurt in able body basketball, she always said she would be in the Paralympics, and she could not believe that came true.

Currently, Juice is in an undefeated season with Alabama and is getting ready for this years Olympics.

“I feel really strong”Juice said. “The last time I came to the olympics, I was really young and was caught up in the experience, but this year I want a medal”.

By: Julia Smith

Feb. 28– The Crimson Tide took on the Ft. Lauderdale Sharks in the Piggly Wiggly Bama Bash in Stran Hardin Arena.

Lalonde, Lang, Young, Weiss and Maynard started the first quarter. The Sharks only brought five players for the Bama Bash, which was an advantage for the Tide.

Young started off the game strong with making the first point within seconds of the first quarter. Although the Crimson Tide had great execution, the team had a couple mishaps with Lalonde missing two layups in a row and multiple fouls in the quarter.

But little things didn’t hold back the team. Young and lang worked together to get across the court to assist Lalonde in a shot before the end of the first quarter.

The same starters came back for the second half. Going into the quarter, the Tide was 11 points in the lead with the score of 22 to 12.

Lalonde had the opportunity for two free throws, but missed both off the front iron. Young and Lang were in Lalonde’s corner again and the three worked together for another score. The Tide had great communication skills throughout the whole game.

In the third quarter, the Sharks put pressure on the tide, but that didn’t stop Young from making shots in every quarter. Alabama was on top with points, but the team had five fouls by the third quarter.

No matter how many fouls, The Tide still came out on top with a final score of 63 to 47. It was a frustrating day for the Sharks, but a step closer for the women’s basketball team to the championship with currently a undefeated season.

Feb 21.– The Bama women’s wheelchair basketball team kicked off the College Invitational at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.. At 2:00 P.M., many fans tuned in to watch the Crimson Tide take on Wisconsin White Water.

At the start, something was in the water for the Crimson Tide. The team leaded the game 8 to 2 with Bama in the lead. It took White Water seven minutes to make their first point. Although Bama was in the lead, player Rosie Lalonde missed two throw shots in a row, followed by another missed free throw form Kate Lang.

Lang and Arinn “Juice” Young, worked together throughout the game, especially the slung throw across the court between the two to make another point for the Tide. Young rushed the court making the first six points in the first quarter and having good defense throughout the game.

The score was close with 27 to 26 Bama in the lead going into the second quarter. White water was hitting their shots trying to pass the Tide. Within the second and third quarter, allowing White Water to take too many penalty shots.

With as many penalty shots White Water had, The crimson tide was still in the lead with Bama’s coach advising the players to run the clock.

The Crimson Tide is still undefeated winning the game with score of 92-70, just eight points shorts from the teams goal of a 100 point game. The Crimson tide will take on Illinois at 6 P.M. on Friday Feb. 21.

ROLL TIDE

Feb 16.–Every team has a home; a place filled with fans who have a love for a game, where awards are acknowledged and shows team’s from the past and the present’s hard work. Fields and arenas are more than facility, but a home for legends, and the women’s wheelchair basketball team is one of them.

Before Stran-Hardin Arena, players would practice in the University of Alabama Student Rec Center on Bryce Blvd.. At the time, there were no adapted athletics arenas on any university campus in the country.

The Adapted Athletics program started in 2003 and started with one women’s basketball team. Since then, the program has gained 100 students for multiple adapted sports. Of all the teams, the women’s wheelchair basketball was in the spot light with winning more than four championships since 2015.

A legacy has begun and there was no home for the players to return to. President of The University of Alabama Stuart R. Bell, recognized that there should be a facility for adapted players to train, learn, play and be honored in.

In February 2016, The University of Alabama approved a $10- million- dollar plan. The two story arena would be built by the recreational center on campus. The arena would have locker rooms, gyms for training and meeting and study halls.

To build the arena, the arena had to be funded by 50 percent of gifts and donations. Within days, a $three- million dollar donation was made by Mike and Kathy Mouron.

In 2018, the arena was built. Many gathered in a arena that is now filled with fans and championship banners to this day. At the grand opening of the arena, alumni of the adapted athletics program were proud to be apart of a program that started its own legacy.

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