Online Newsletter 
Year in Review - 2017 

It's been a great and busy year for USAWR. Check out some of our highlights from the past few months!
Tri Nations Invitational

Lakeshore Foundation was pleased to host the Tri Nations Invitational May 10-13 featuring the United States, Canada and Japan. The event was the only domestic competition in 2017 for USAWR and an excellent opportunity for fans and athletes to get a first look at three of the top teams in the world. Congratulations to Japan for winning the inaugural title over the U.S. and Canada finishing third.
 
USAWR Takes Top Spot at the Japan Para Wheelchair Rugby Championships
 
Right on the heels of Tri Nations, USAWR traveled to Japan for
the Japan Para Wheelchair Rugby Championship May 25-28. With reigning world number one Australia on the court as well as an impressive squad from Japan, the U.S. had its work cut out. Running 29 new and different lines over the course of the competition, USAWR finished on top with a win over Australia in the championship game.
USAWR qualifies for World Championships with win in Paraguay
 
Summer was capped off with the 2017 IWRF Americas Zonal Championship in Paraguay September 5-9. The U.S. went undefeated in the tournament, earning an spot at the 2018 World Championships in Australia. GO USA!
Get to Know USA Wheelchair Rugby's Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson made his first national team in 2017. We checked in to find out more about what motivates him to work hard:

"My biggest motivation to make it to the Paralympic level is striving to get better for my teammates, always staying hungry when it comes to evolving, and improving my skills as a player," said Jackson.

"Hard work always pays off in the end at every level.  I was unsure I'd make the training squad this year, honestly. I believe in myself, but you really never know what can happen during tryouts. I knew I could expect a lot of scrimmaging, drills, and film sessions. However, I didn't know how valuable sports psychology could be. It's huge because it helps us all understand each other better." 
 
What does Joe think it will take to get to Tokyo? "To help me get to Tokyo in 2020, I plan on training harder than before. Short term goals of mine are to make every traveling squad I have the chance to, being the best team in the USQRA each year, and continuing to make each national team until then." 
 
Want to learn more? Check out our bios here.
Did You Know? 

In each newsletter we will try and answer some of the most commonly asked questions from athletes and fans.
 
So, who governs USA Wheelchair Rugby?
It can be confusing, but actually, the answer is pretty straightforward.
 
Lakeshore Foundation has been the home of USA Wheelchair Rugby for more than 15 years. In 2005, Lakeshore entered into a formal contract with the United States Olympic Committee to serve as the High Performance Management Organization for USAWR. In this role, Lakeshore offers administrative leadership a nd is proud to employ the High Performance Manager, Mandy Goff. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, Lakeshore also serves as the primary training site for the team. Another important aspect of the program is a developmental squad that serves as a pipeline for the national team. While it has taken on different forms over the last several years, the first camp for that pool of athletes supported by USAWR was held last year. 

All of the athletes who are a part of the national squad are also rostered on teams in their communities nationwide that are governed by The United States Quad Rugby Association (USQRA). To find a club near you click here.
Looking Ahead - 2018

Looking ahead to 2018, USAWR has a packed and exciting schedule! The selection camp for the 2018 training squad will take place January 3-7, 2018 at Lakeshore Foundation. Invitations to over 35 athletes went out on November 27.  The selection committee is comprised of the head coach, assistant coach and development coach as well as a USQRA representative and player representative who provide valuable and significant feedback. The high performance manager also sits in on the discussions but is not a part of the selection process.
 
Up to 16 athletes will be nominated on January 7 to train together for a spot on the GIO 2018 IWRF World Championship Team.

April will mark another exciting milestone as the team will host a camp every month in preparation for Worlds. In June, the team will train in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center, departing from there to compete at Canada Cup.

USAWR also recently announced that in March it will compete at Quad Nations hosted by Great Britain in Leicester, UK. In June, the team will compete at the Canada Cup in Vancouver as the final warm up before World Championship August 5-10 in Sydney, Australia.
  
Here is a glimpse of the calendar of events for 2018!
  
Jan 3-7: USAWR 2018 Selection Camp, Lakeshore Foundation
March 4-12: Quad Nations, Leicester, United Kingdom
April 11-15: Training Camp, Lakeshore Foundation
May 9-20: Resident Camp, Lakeshore Foundation
June 7-11: Training Camp, Olympic Training Center, COS
June 12-17: Canada Cup, Vancouver, BC
July 12-21: Resident Camp, Lakeshore Foundation
July 31-August 11: GIO 2018 IWRF World Championships

 
USA Rugby 
  
This summer, USA Wheelchair Rugby athletes Rob Deller and Talbot Kennedy represented the team at the USA Rugby tailgate at Kennesaw State University. Deller and Kennedy signed autographs and met fans engaging everyone in a fun round of USAWR trivia to win some awesome swag! Fans from the tailgate then filled the stadium for the U.S. vs. Georgia match up. While the U.S. rallied in the second half, Georgia came away with the win.  Many thanks to the USA Rugby family for welcoming us to Atlanta!   
   
Want to learn more about the USA Screaming Eagles fan club and get the inside scoop on USA Rugby? Visit their facebook page and become a fan!

 
Join us!
  
Support USA Wheelchair Rugby as we work to get back to number one! We are grateful for the generosity of donors who support our dream. Click here to donate today. 

Want to know more about supporting USA Wheelchair Rugby? We'd love to hear from you. Please contact Lakeshore's Associate Director of Development, Dwight Downs at dwightd@lakeshore.org . 
 
Thank you!   

USAWR would like to give special thanks to Coloplast who has signed on to support the team this year. We appreciate your support!  Click  here  to l earn more about Coloplast. 
Leadership Contacts:
Lakeshore Logo

Lakeshore Foundation, High Performance Management Organization, USA Wheelchair Rugby. 

President 
Jeff Underwood jeffu@lakeshore.org

Chief Program Officer 
Beth Curry bethc@lakeshore.org

Team Leader/High Performance Manager
Mandy Goff   mandyg@lakeshore.org

Press Officer
Jen Remick Allred  jena@lakeshore.org


Check us out online! www.usawr.org