Oct. 14, 2011
Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team Website | Facebook Page
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Prior to the UNLV softball team's scrimmage, the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team took to the diamond for a practice of its own prior to its three softball games around the Las Vegas valley this weekend. The WWAST is unlike any softball team that you've ever seen. The team members are all veterans of the United States military that have lost limbs post-9/11, while serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The team, the brainchild of David Van Sleet, a Department of Veterans Affairs southwest prosthetics manager, will play an exhibition game tonight at 8:00 pm, against a national team comprised of PoliceSoftball.com players at Big League Dreams Park (3151 E. Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89101) at 9:30 pm. The game will follow the 7th Annual Police World Series Awards Night.
The WWAST have a doubleheader scheduled Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm against the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Firefighters at Lorenzi Park Field #1 (3333 W. Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89107). Not only does the team get to play two games, but they get to do it on a day proclaimed as "Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team Day" in the city of Las Vegas by Ward 5 Councilman Ricki Barlow, who will present the proclamation to the team.
Van Sleet, who has worked in prosthetics for over 30 years and an avid softball player for about the same length of time, came up with the idea for the softball team about five years ago.
"When the war started in 2003, I saw guys coming back that looked pretty fit," said Van Sleet. "I started to keep tabs on who played sports, who was athletic, and how they did their workouts. I came up with this crazy idea, `You know, I think we can field a softball team from guys that played baseball before.'"
Van Sleet and the University of Arizona got the ball rolling when the school was awarded a Congressional Grant to bring the team to spring training that covered the player's expenses. Louisville Slugger and Under Armour have also come onboard as sponsors of the team and provided equipment and apparel.
"We had about 250 apply and we whittled it down through their physical therapists and prosthetists. We trained for a week and we kept about 10 guys. We found about 10 more guys from around the country that were even more into it; a little bit more competitive and with a little bit more ability. We've got about 20 guys to choose from and we travel with 11. We travel about two or three times a month."
The squad will not shy away from competition. When the team was formed they were told they would play against able-bodied teams and they are doing just that. "We try to involve the community. We like playing at universities, fire departments, police departments and military bases. We've gone to Arizona; Oklahoma for the World Cup of Softball; the World Softball Clinic in Panama City Beach; Bonita Springs, Florida; and Huntsville, Ala. We have about seven or eight major colleges trying to get us to go to their schools."
The team survives off donations, but they have definitely been getting its story told through various media outlets noted Van Sleet. "In the last few months, we've been in Sports Illustrated magazine, HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, ESPN, ESPN Radio, NBC Nightly News and CBS Nightly News. We are a story that is not going away. These guys are heroes."
The main message of the team and conveyed by Van Sleet is, "Don't feel sorry for these guys. They don't. It is the new normal. Live without limb is limitless. Just congratulate them instead!"
