Rocky Mountains

Hi, I am Matt Bowen, a C6 quadriplegic. I am married and a dad to an awesome 2 year old boy. I started the Utah Chapter of Wheelchair Lacrosse back in 2021. I love sports and participating in adaptive rec and all the cool people I meet in this community!

In 2020, when the world shut down and I had some extra time on my hands, I was looking to play a team sport. In Utah however, there wasn’t really any sport that allowed me to do that. Being a quadriplegic, using my hands to pickup balls wasn’t very doable either. I had played lacrosse in high school and decided to see if I could still use a lacrosse stick. I was able to with ease and decided to see if there was an adaptive lacrosse team nearby. The sport of Wheelchair Lacrosse had been around for about 11 years at this point as a national organization, but unfortunately none existed close to Utah. So I decided to start a team here. In 2021 we had our first clinic and have been playing monthly since. It’s truly been a blast and I have loved learning this game and meeting so many cool people along the way!

COME AND PLAY!
Wheelchair Lacrosse is a sport for EVERYBODY! I wanted to create a place where everyone can come and compete on a level playing field. This gives disabled and non-disabled athletes alike an opportunity to play together and compete at a high level! So no matter your ability, your experience, or your background, Wheelchair Lacrosse is for you! We play monthly and have all the lacrosse gear and sports wheelchairs available for free. Check out our Instagram (@utahwheelchairlax) for updates on when and where we play!

What’s up Matt, I remember when I got a DM from Matt on Instagram and him telling me about wheelchair lacrosse. I never played lacrosse in my life. When I first started playing it was an eye opener for me. It showed me that I can play a contact sport again. I have been playing wheelchair lacrosse with the Rolling Raptors for about a year now and it has been the best time ever. I play in an action sport chair. This chair allows me to play lacrosse. I am a T-12 paraplegic and I have a lot of my core. I don’t need to have that much seat dump. Having core helps with maneuvering a lot easier with sitting higher up. Lacrosse is a lot of fun and I hope that we can grow the game as much as possible.
Thanks Matt for everything!

Matt aint joking! I nervously went to one of Rolling Raptors’ clinics not knowing what to expect. I was greeted by Matt and many other players. I’ve played wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby but never wheelchair lacrosse. It’s fast-paced and fun. I’m stoked to join in on more of the Raptors’ monthly clinics. Check out their Program Page on The Active Project here for more info and clinic dates. If you want to learn more about Wheelchair Lacrosse in general check out the Active Projects Lacrosse Sports Page.

We see you with those trick shots on The Active Projects’ Social media.