City of Las Vegas To Host USA Wheelchair Football League Tournament October 21-22, 2023
Wheelchair football athletes from across the country, including the hometown Las Vegas Raiders Wheelchair Football Team, will compete at a USA Wheelchair Football League (USAWFL) tournament hosted by City of Las Vegas Parks and Recreation Department October 21-22 at the Llama Lot on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. This is the final tournament of the 2023 regular season, which marks the third year of USA Wheelchair Football League (USAWFL) tournament play. 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, October 21 at 7:45 AM with two fields running concurrently from 7:45 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday and from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sunday in Lots 9 & 10 at the Erie Community College North Campus. A champion will be crowned Sunday afternoon following the final matchup at 2:00 PM.
“I can’t wait to conclude our season here at home. The home field advantage, the energy is going to be amazing,” said Jason Kelley, retired U.S. Marines Corporal and Las Vegas Raiders Wheelchair Football Team athlete. “This sport has helped me in so many ways, and I’m so proud to represent the US Marine Corps while being a Las Vegas Raider.”
This is the fourth and final tournament of the 2023 regular season. Eight teams will be competing, including the Arizona Cardinals, Birmingham Hammers, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the home team Las Vegas Raiders Wheelchair Football Team.
“We are so pumped to continue the third in-person season of wheelchair football competitions, with the league now growing to 14 teams in 2023,” said Move United Executive Director Glenn Merry. “This program, supported through the NFL-BWF Salute to Service partnership brings the hard hitting sport to hundreds of warfighters and adults with disabilities in their home communities. The power of the league is to reengage our athletes in the unique team environment that only football brings.”
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.
The Las Vegas wheelchair football team is a program of the City of Las Vegas Parks and Recreation – Adaptive Recreation department. The mission of the city of Las Vegas is to provide residents, visitors and the business community with the highest quality municipal services in an efficient, courteous manner and to enhance the quality of life through planning and visionary leadership. This mission sets the foundation for the Department of Parks and Recreation in their efforts to provide programs and services that foster community pride and an improved quality of life through recreation, education, outreach and community services that promotes healthy lifestyles and sustainable neighborhoods.
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