Wellesley's Jim Wice is a Member of the Conference Champion Boston Brakers Power Wheelchair Soccer Team

July 2, 2015
A photo of the Boston Brakers power wheelchair soccer team in action

Jim Wice, director of accessibility and disability resources, is a member of the Boston Brakers Power Soccer Club. The Brakers, who were established in 2012 as Boston’s first power wheelchair soccer team, placed first in their conference and fifth overall at the MK Battery President's and Founder's Conference Championship in Hanover in late June.

Power wheelchair soccer is competitive sport played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court, with two teams of four players who attack, defend, and kick a soccer ball in a manner similar to regulation soccer. According to the Brakers website, “it is the fastest growing sport in the world for athletes with disabilities using power wheelchairs.”

The sport has grown rapidly in Indiana, California, and Florida in recent years. The Brakers, a team comprised mostly of players from the greater Boston area, hope to have the same success in promoting the sport in New England with the goal of giving power wheelchair users a chance to experience competitive sport and sportsmanship.

We profiled Wice back in 2012; learn more about his work. Videos of the tournament are available on the MK Battery President's and Founder's Conference Championship livestream website, and learn more about the Brakers on their website.