Playing wheelchair basketball is only one aspect of wheelchair sports — becoming a coach is a different thing altogether. Tommy Schroeder is coaching and mentoring in a very personal way.
Although he doesn't admit it, youth wheelchair basketball coach Tommy Schroeder does more than develop talent on Wednesday nights. The humble 24-year-old Tempe resident serves as a role model to his players in a way that is not limited to the hard court.
Like all of his players, Schroeder shoots and passes from a wheelchair, something that has accompanied him since he was born with spina bifida. But after 16 years of basketball, he is more focused on the game and developing new talent than worrying about his condition.
"I try to set a good example," he said. "I try to show them that just because of their chair, it doesn't mean they can't do what other kids can do."