Al Youakim
Achievements
Adaptive Sports Hall of FameAl began his storied involvement with wheelchair sports in the mid-1940s, long before any of the governing bodies were organized. Al and his brother Pete served in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. Pete came back from the war with paraplegia from a spinal injury and was hospitalized at St. Albans Veterans Administration Hospital. St. Albans was one of the early facilities credited for introducing wheelchair basketball and many other sports activities for rehabilitating returning wounded from the war.
Because of his brother’s injuries, Al dedicated himself to the development of wheelchair sports teams and competitions.
A charter member of the National Wheelchair Athletic Committee (the precursor to Wheelchair Sports USA), Al was an official in every competition since the inception of the committee in 1956 and continued to work regional events throughout his career.
He officiated in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) from its inception in 1948 and coached the Jersey Wheelers to the NWBA Championship in 1954. He continued to actively recruit and coach basketball and quad rugby throughout his lifetime.
Starting in 1961, Al was coaching on the Team USA Wheelchair Teams for more than two decades. During that time, Al coached in five Paralympic competitions and three Pan American Games. He was inducted into the NWBA Hall of Fame in 1983.