Hillsborough County Adaptive Sports Hosts 2024 USA Wheelchair Football League Tournament
Wheelchair football athletes from across the country, including the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wheelchair Football Team, will compete at a USA Wheelchair Football League (USAWFL) tournament hosted by Hillsborough County Adaptive Sports on August 3 & 4 at the Tampa Convention Center. The tournament kicks off the 2024 USA Wheelchair Football League (USAWFL) season of tournament play. This is the fourth competition season for the league. The USAWFL is a program of Move United that is made possible in part by support from the National Football League (NFL) – and Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) partnership, which is part of the League’s Salute to Service initiative.
Tournament competition will kick off on Saturday morning, August 3 at 8:00 AM with two fields running concurrently from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Saturday and from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sunday in Hall C at the Tampa Convention Center. A champion will be crowned Sunday afternoon following the final matchup at 2:00 PM.
“I love wheelchair football, because it has built a sense of family and community that I don’t get anywhere else,” said Kenyatta “K.D.” Patterson, retired U.S. Army SSG and member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wheelchair Football Team. “Our team continues to make strong bonds and create memories. We can’t wait to kick off the 2024 season here and hopefully bring home our first trophy!”
This is the kickoff tournament for the 2024 season. Nine teams will be competing, including the Arizona Cardinals, Birmingham Hammers, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, and the home team Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wheelchair Football Team.
“Now in its fourth year, the 2024 USA Wheelchair Football League season opens to extreme excitement and expanded interest,” said Move United Executive Director Glenn Merry. “As we kick off the 2024 season’s first tournament in Tampa, the sport continues to showcase the talent and skill of our warfighter athletes at a level that exceeds expectation for the early years of a sports league.”
In addition to supporting the USAWFL’s competitive teams, the grant from the NFL-BWF Salute to Service partnership and Move United provides opportunities for grassroots growth of the sport through coaching education, officials training and learn-to-play clinics.
As a signature program of Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation, the mission of Hillsborough County Adaptive Sports program is to promote health, independence and personal growth through sports for people with physical and intellectual disabilities. HC Adaptive Sports provides year-round sports and recreation programs that promote physical activity, healthy lifestyles, and recreational and competitive sports opportunities for children and adults with physical disabilities.
Attendance is free for all. Local youth football organizations, nonprofits and community groups are invited to come out to a game to support the athletes and teams as spectators or volunteers.
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