N.E.W.S.

(National Electric Wheelchair Sports)

The National Electric Wheelchair Sports (NEWS) is specifically for people who use electric wheelchairs for their everyday mobility and have a neuromuscular disorder.

This is the only competition available for people with neuromuscular disorders to compete on an “equal playing field”.

NEWS, was the brainchild of Roger Melnyk, who had Muscular Dystrophy and was the Executive Officer of the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Victoria.

He took his idea to the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of Australia and the sports were developed to give athletes an opportunity to compete for their state.

NEWS is the showcase for electric wheelchair sports in Australia.  It is an unique annual event which displays the all round skills of each athlete in the three sports of electric wheelchair hockey, balloon soccer and rugby league.

Today, we have competing teams from the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and New Zealand. The games are played in a highly competitive atmosphere.

The standard of play at NEWS has improved every year since the first games in 1986. SELECTION OF STATE TRAINING SQUAD (14PLAYERS) Selection Process – State Training Squad.

1: Coaches of each of the five teams in VEWSA Regional competitions separately nominate in writing on this form, the 14 players which each coach considers to be the most experienced and competent in the current VEWSA competitions.

2: Nominations for the State Training Squad should be made irrespective of medical diagnoses of the nominated players, and should be based solely on the playing ability and skills of the players in Hockey, Soccer and Rugby. However, it should be noted that the current NEWS rules impose a player eligibility criteria that all participating players must have a PROGRESSIVE NEURO- MUSCULAR DISEASE as defined in the NEWS rules. Ultimate selection of the State Team will be based on that criteria.

3: The state training squad of 14 players will be selected from the overall nominations, mainly by ballot, counting each nomination as one vote, and otherwise at the discretion of the selection panel which must review all registered players who have been within teams in the VEWSA competitions.  Selection panel will comprise the President of VEWSA, Chairman of the Match Committee and the State Coach.