People are being offered an opportunity to take up wheelchair basketball or come along and support the local team – Exeter Otters.
Exeter Otters train at Wonford Leisure Centre on Saturday afternoons at 1pm and have an open-door policy, meaning anyone can come along and try the sport And you don’t have to have a disability to play.
They are also looking for people to come along and support the club when they play their home games at nearby Cranbrook Education Campus. There’s also no charge to watch the games.
Exeter Otters is thriving and currently has 65 members. It has a first team playing in Division One but also a second ‘development’ team and a junior team.
So why is Exeter Otters – the UK’s oldest wheelchair basketball club - doing so well? That’s partly thanks to the inspiration and enthusiasm of ex-professional player and coach Jack Davey, who has made Wonford Sports Centre in Exeter his second home.
Jack, who was born with a rare form of spina bifida, is passionate about the sport and its inclusive nature, but what does he really enjoy most about wheelchair basketball.
He said “It sounds a bit weird, but I enjoy falling out of my chair! I like the physicality. I like the aspect of you are athletes at the end of the day, so you need to give 100% and me being very competitive, I like to win, so I enjoy that aspect.
“I describe the game itself as a chessboard. You need to move the right pieces to get the best shots possible rather than just throw up shots and hope for the best. There’s actually some strategy behind it to help your team win. It’s that side that I enjoy.”
Jack joined the Otters 14 years ago and hasn’t looked back. In 2016 he moved abroad to play professional wheelchair basketball for Trier Dolphins in the German Bundesliga before returning in 2019 to play for Exeter Otters in the Premier League.
He was then headhunted by RGK Wheelchairs, who specialise in making made-to-measure wheelchairs for sports and everyday use. He has captained South West England, is on the GB pathway as a player and has picked up gold medals as a coach at regional and national level.
To try wheelchair basketball and get involved with the Exeter Otters, visit the club website or follow the club on Facebook, Instagram or X.
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