John Noisette
Achievements
Adaptive Sports Hall of FameJohn began his involvement in wheelchair while working as a corrective therapist at the Philadelphia
VA Hospital. He went to become involved on the local, regional, national and international stages which led to a respected and prominent role in the National Wheelchair Athletic Association.
John served many years as an organizer and promoter of the wheelchair-sports movement. He assisted the original organizing committee in Fishersville, Virginia in conducting the first ever Virginia Wheelchair Games in 1974. He was one of the founders of the Philadelphia Easter Seals Paranauts, a longtime powerhouse in wheelchair basketball and sports activities. In 1975 he left his position as Recreation Director at Moss Rehabilitation Hospital to become an assistant professor of recreation and leisure at Temple University. At about the same time, he and a few other wheelchair sports activists started the Delaware Valley Wheelchair Athletic Association and he began coaching a whole new generation of athletes.
John’s coaching resume was extensive and impressive. He served as USA coach of track & field at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg in 1967; table tennis at the 68 Paralympic Games in Tel Aviv, Israel; basketball and track coach at the 69 Pan Am Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the track & field coach at the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1970. In addition, in 1971 he coached the USA women’s basketball and track at the Pan Am Games in Kingston, Jamaica; the 1972 women’s track & field teams at the Paralympic competition in Heidelberg, Germany and the coach of the 1973 USA women’s track and field team at the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru.
In 1977 John again established a new sports program, the Bordertown Elks Team which, although primarily a basketball program, did continue to support local wheelchair athletes as well, including Hall of Fame field athlete Tony Levis. In 1978, he was elected to the Pennsylvania Wheelchair Athletic Association Hall of Fame for his contributions to wheelchair sports.