History
Ryan Baker and Bill Lundstrom met in San Diego in 2008. They both used wheelchairs and they both were adaptive athletes — they skied, played golf, competed in tennis, and rode bikes. Both men also had the desire to play a team sport and were not satisfied with the typical options for people with disabilities. So, they got some used lacrosse sticks and gave it a try.
Established 2010
Ryan and Bill soon had several players coming out to throw the ball around San Diego, and wheelchair lacrosse was born! They hosted the world’s first wheelchair lacrosse camp in 2010 and spent much of the next decade traveling the country to grow the game.
Today, Wheelchair Lacrosse USA works to develop the sport at the grassroots level across the United States. The organization also hosts an annual tournament each August which has determined the Wheelchair Lacrosse National Champion since 2015. Over 130 athletes ages 16-70 competed in the 2024 event.
National Champions
| Year | Winning Team | Runner-up | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Milwaukee | Grand Rapids | Mequon, WI |
| 2023 | Milwaukee | Colorado | Buffalo, NY |
| 2022 | Colorado | Milwaukee | Aurora, CO |
| 2021 | Invitational | Invitational | San Diego, CA |
| 2020 | No Event | No Event | No Event |
| 2019 | Maryland | Colorado | Bethpage, NY |
| 2018 | San Diego | Colorado | Aurora, CO |
| 2017 | San Diego | Maryland | Buffalo, NY |
| 2016 | San Diego | Colorado | Ocean City, MD |
| 2015 | San Diego | Colorado | Ocean City, MD |