Above right: Collin holds the ball against Auburn's Jay Denning. Below: Mizzou's Eric Rodriguez drives through the lane during a game. was told my crutches were a safety hazard, " he says. " I knew about wheelchair basketball already, so that's pretty much been my life ever since. " The Tigers typically start their season in late fall and play until the Intercollegiate National Championship tournament in March. This season got off to a late start when they hit the court against the University of Texas-Arlington on Jan. 28 in Columbia. Injuries sidelined the team in the fall and COVID-19 took away the 2021 season and the end of 2020, right when Ron says his players were hitting their peak. " My first few years on the team seem like they went by so fast, so this long break has been kind of a blur, " Zach says. " Our tournament over winter break was canceled and that didn't help. We're just all super ecstatic to get back out and play. " The tournaments are played throughout the U.S. Teams typically play every other team at the event in a roundrobin format. Teams must compete in at least two tournaments to be eligible for the year-end tournament. Ron says the Tigers usually play in about six. While the Tigers are organized under the recreation department, there is no shortage of competition. From hard practices and scrimmages to shooting drills to coaching strategies, these aren't just pickup games. MARCH 2022 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP XXhttp://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP