Robert J. Szyman
Achievements
Adaptive Sports Hall of FameBob Szyman’s wheelchair sports career began in August of 1971 as a graduate assistant to Stan Labonowich at the University of Illinois. He developed an athlete focused philosophy that led to innovative methods and programming. The Chicago native coached four national championship wheelchair basketball teams and many national and international track & field and swimming champions over the course of his career at Illinois, as well as in Minnesota and Missouri. He pioneered women’s
wheelchair and youth basketball.
Bob directed the 19th annual National Wheelchair Games in 1975. He was a USA Wheelchair Athletics Team coach from 1975 to 1980 and the head coach from 1981 to 1987. He was a coach or team administrator during seven Paralympic Games. A twenty-five year member of the Board of Directors of Wheelchair Sports USA, Bob represented Wheelchair Sports USA in international congresses and served on the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation Executive Committee.
Over the course of his career, Bob has had many scholarly articles and photographs published. Bob also served as the National Wheelchair Basketball Association youth division commissioner and the Secretary General of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation.