USQRA Quad Rugby Tournament is Big Eye Opener for Local Team.

On Friday February 5th The North Texas Cowboys played their first real quad rugby game against Possibilities Crown, a team from Southern California.  They lost the game by 16 points…  But at the end of the game no one was hanging their head.  They were ecstatic, they played beyond their expectations and they played hard as a team.  There were a total of 7 teams from all around the country that came to play.  Crown went on to take first place in the tournament and the Cowboys continued to lose the rest of their six games. Read the rest of this entry »

Texas Thunder Quad Rugby Tournament, February 5-7th Great Results!

We would like to thank all of our volunteers  and sponsors, The Texas Stampede, RISE, C & R Medical,  Lift-Aids, the Hilton Garden Inn, and the City of Irving for helping put on an excellent tournament.  Seven quad rugby teams from across the country came to the city of Irving to compete in this three day event.  The competition was stiff with no teams going undefeated.

CLICK HERE for more photos of the tournament.

Check out the tournament results below…

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RISE is proud to announce our 2010 Program Schedule

A large group of volunteers and committee board members were instrumental in preparing this complex document.  We scheduled over 500 programs dates and will be adding more as we continue to seek collaborative partners and locations for additional programs and events.  You can view this broad spectrum of programs and dates by clicking on this link.  Sign up now!

RISE Kayaking: DO NOT FEAR THE ALLIGATOR GAR!

RISE Kayaking is an excellent outdoor summer activity that anyone can do.   I’m s C-6 quad with limited hand grip and with in no time I was paddling nicely down the Trinity River.  RISE provided an adaptive glove that helped me grip the paddle with ease.  We also experimented with reverse duct tape that ended up working out the best.   The kayaks are very stable flat bottom boats so you don’t have to worry about tipping over and becoming Alligator gar food.  What’s an Alligator Gar you say?  Apparently there is a very large fish with a nasty mess of teeth living in the Trinity River, we did not see one but I will add some old photos to the gallery.   Other than the big, nasty fish that we didn’t see, the Trinity River is surrounded by beautiful trees that make you feel like you are far from the city!   I brought my wife and son and they had a blast!

Sam Houston Trail Park, 101 E. Interstate Highway 635, Irving, TX.

Take a nice trip down the Trinity River. To make reservations contact Paul Gray at pgray@riseadventures.org or 469.762.5075.

Click here for more photos

RISE Quad Rugby is every Friday night from 6–9pm at the Georgia Farrow Recreation Center in Irving.

No reservations are required so come join us.

We play every Friday from 6 pm till 9 pm at the Georgia Farrow Recreation Center.

Georgia Farrow Recreation Center
530 Davis Dr
Irving, TX 75061    click here for map.

Click here for more photos

RISE is on Television, again!

Irving Community Television (ICTN) covered TEAM RISE versus the Dallas Harlequins able bodied rugby game. Parkscape is shown on local cable. This is great video

C & R Medical is proud to announce their sponsorship of the “United States Quad Rugby Association” (USQRA) National Developmental Team “Team USQRA”

This is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to facilitate the development of Wheelchair Rugby on the national level for the United States of America. This includes helping sponsor new players and teams learn the sport through instructional clinics, to training top level athletes and preparing our National team to represent the United States at elite international competition.

The sport of Wheelchair Rugby or Quad Rugby was introduced to the United States in 1982 as a quadriplegic equivalent to wheelchair basketball. Since this time, Quad Rugby has grown to become a truly international sport, with teams now competing from around the globe. There are now more than forty-five organized teams in the US not counting the many developmental teams and an estimated twenty international teams, as well as being a Paralympic Sport. Quad Rugby is without question the fastest growing wheelchair sport in the world.

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Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, (BIR) Hand Cycle Clinic was held on Saturday, May 30th

I just wanted to update you all on our hand cycle clinic that was held last Saturday for our Support Challenge Inspire participants. It was a huge success, especially considering that we had to reschedule the event due to weather. Thank you Angie, Heidi, Alina, and Alli for coming out to help!!! You gals were a great team helping perform many transfers. We had a total of 53 people (22 wheelchair users, 15 family members, one inpatient- Monic, and 16 volunteers). Thank you RISE Adventures for helping transport the bikes, locate volunteers and Mike who grilled the food! Another big thank you to those who allowed us to borrow your hand cycles!!! We could not have had this event without you all! Thanks again! I look forward to our next hand cycle clinic.

Thanks,
Lea Stewart – Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist!

Click here for a bunch more pictures!

Rescheduled Events Due to Rain!

Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation Hand Cycle Clinic – We are excited to announce that we are able to reschedule the hand cycle clinic on Saturday, May 30th from 9:00-noon at Campion Trails (6030 Riverside Dr., Irving, TX 75039). Please note the change of time and location due to rescheduling. This trail is located next to a small river path that is canopied by trees! Beautiful I must say! We will have hot dogs and hamburgers for free to celebrate the event! A variety of bikes will be provided to explore on this pathway. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Lea Stewart for further details of meeting location at leas@baylorhealth.edu or 214-820-9578. We hope to see you all there … Leah Stewart

»» Click here for Event Map

RISE Discover Scuba, Saturday, May 30th, right after the Baylor Hand Cycle Clinic about a half mile away at Northlake College, from 12-4. It is not too late to sign up, please contact Paul Gray at pgray@riseadventures.org or 469.762.5075.

RISE Children’s Camping Inaugural Date is now Friday, May 29-30th. The first one is filled up but many more dates are available.

RISE Airplane Rides/Challenge Air, McKinney Event is now Saturday, July 6th.

All other RISE Programs are still on schedule so check the calendar and sign up now!

Want something to do this weekend, May 15-17th?

RISE Quad Rugby Friday Night, RISE Children’s Camp Friday-Sunday, visit the RISE Adventures booth at the Grapevine Main Street Days Festival Friday-Sunday, RISE collaborates with Baylor SCI Hand Cycle Clinic Saturday, RISE Airplane Rides in conjunction with Challenge Air Saturday, Sled Hockey Saturday, RISE Golf Sunday, RISE Hand Cycling Sunday, or RISE Kayaking Sunday.

Yes we are busy so get out of the house and have a great time at our numerous activities this weekend!

Sign up NOW for these RISE Programs; Golf, Kayaking, Fishing, Camping, Kayaking, Scuba, Photography, Airplane Rides, and Hand Cycling. Quad Rugby and Sled Hockey to not require reservations. Next month RISE will introduce dates for Therapeutic Horse Back Riding and Water Skiing. Additional Programs will start in July.

Spotlight on RISE Collaboration with the Scottish Rite Hospital (SRH)

RISE was very busy with our great friends at SRH this past month. RISE attended PALS meetings, the SRH Bike Rodeo and Child Safety Day, Scottish Rite to Play in conjunction with Get Kidz Fit 2009 at the Dallas Fair Park Centennial Building, and SRH Rite 2 Play.

RISE Adventure Scuba adds more dates, Saturday May 30th and July 11th

This program is for disabled persons over the age of 10 to experience the freedom the water gives all levels of physical disabilities. All equipment and professional instruction is provided in collaboration with Adventure Scuba. We still need experienced divers that want to help with this program to take the Adaptive Buddy Class. Like all RISE Programs everything is FREE, Adventure Scuba, Dive Buddies, and Diver Certification. Contact Paul Gray at pgray@riseadventures.org or 469-762-5075 and sign up now.

»» More Scuba Pictures

Documents
Required: Doctor’s Release (Fax to 469.442.1381)
Introduction to Adaptive Scuba

RISE Photography schedules two more dates

Saturday May 23^rd and June 20^th from 12:00 – 3:00 pm at the Dallas Arboretum

Singles Church Group vs. Team RISE Quad Rugby

Friday, April 24th, 7:00-9:00 pm. After an exciting evening versus the Dallas Harlequins, Lea Stewarts church group decided they wanted to take the same challenge. Please join us for an exciting evening of able bodied versus TEAM RISE Quads. No reservations required.

»» More Quad Rugby Information

Handcycling Sunday April 19th

Sorry guys for taking so long to get my Handcycling Blog entry for the ride on Sunday April 19th. The best thing about Sunday was having four new riders joining the Program. First of all Denise may be only a first grader but she was riding a big bike with her new biking helment that was given to all the kids at the Rotary Club sponsored Bike Rodeo the day before up at Scottish Rite Hospital where I was representing RISE at the event. Denise was having so much fun riding that I told her mother Oralia about the weekly bike rides at Campion Trails in Irving. They showed up right when the program started they both got some good exercise Denise riding the bike and her mother having to run sometimes to keep up. I think she had some great fun and they said to expect them back next week on the 26th.

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TEAM RISE versus Dallas Harlequins Recap

Friday Evening, April 10th the TEAM RISE Quad Rugby team soundly defeated the Dallas Harlequins Able Bodied USA Rugby Team before a packed gym of enthusiastic fans! The score wasn’t the story on this fun night. Both team’s player’s competitiveness and camaraderie was a true reflection of the evening.

TEAM RISE salutes the Dallas Harlequins as a truly nice bunch of very talented tough guys. Their fans showed up in force. Our hats are off to TEAM RISE Quad Rugby for putting on a show that will be remembered for a very long time. Are hats are also off to the Dallas Harlequins, a great organization that RISE will continue to work with on many endeavors. This was the first annual event and the tradition is just getting started. Irving Community Television Network filmed the event and will show on local cable in May.

Click here for more event pictures!

RISE Handcycling Program News

We had another fine day of handcycling this afternoon. Michelle of course was there and I say of course because before the month was a week old I had an e-mail from her signing up for all the dates available this month. There also were a couple of first-timers Moise and Bill, it is special to see new riders learn that sometimes it’s fun to get “CRANKY”

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