“It was a little frustrating for me but I think I did enough the first two days and that helped me out to make the team again,” Feser told the Gazette Wednesday during a break at a Canada training session in Champaign, Ill. “I went in there with the attitude of trying to solidify my spot and basically make a big presence. I wanted to make the coaches have no doubt that they had to take me.”
Not only will Feser hoop it up for Canada for the third straight year, she is also the team’s co-captain.
“It’s a little more responsibility off the court as well as on the court,” said the five-foot-11 Feser.
The 4.5 post will be counted on to score and play tough D. In wheelchair basketball, the classification point system ranges from 1.0 to 4.5 based on level of ability. The five players on the floor must not exceed 14 points.
“We can usually only put one or two of the big players on and I’m considered a big player so I have to be more of a threat inside,” said Feser, who has full mobility while sitting and can bend up and down as well as side to side. “I’m also starting or coming off the bench a lot sooner than I was before.”
“I never thought three years ago I would be at this level on the national team. I thought it would be a slower process to get to where I am,” said Feser, who had her stand-up career curtailed by a dislocating kneecap; one leg is shorter than the other by an inch-and-a-half. “I’m a bigger threat now coming off the bench as the sixth or seventh man, rather than the first year when I was the 12th man. I didn’t think I would make that jump so soon. It’s pretty good. I definitely like where I am.”
The 12-player line-up will represent Canada at worlds, July 5 to 17 in Birmingham, England. Canada is the four-time defending champion. Worlds are held every four years.
“We came off the Paralympics in fifth place so our goal is to medal and it’s a very realistic goal for us,” said Feser, one of eight returning players who competed at the last Paralympics. “We’re going strong right now with lots of competition to really prepare for worlds. That’s why we’re here for this week. We also have a tournament in Alabama coming up and then we go to Manchester for the Paralympic Cup, which is sort of a pre-world tournament against other international players.”
After the January tryouts in Vancouver, Canada competed at the annual Osaka Cup in Japan and finished third. The only loss for Canada in the four-team draw was against the United States.
“We should’ve placed higher,” said Feser, who played at the Osaka Cup in 2008 (fourth place) and last year (third place). “With my back injury I played as much as I could. I started and came off the bench. I just wanted to test my injury out to see how I could do and it’s good right now.”
The recreation program manager for the City of Edmonton is also wrapping up her second and last season with the University of Alabama Crimson Tide wheelchair basketball team. The defending NCAA champions have not lost a game to a women’s team after going 34-2 last season, with both losses to men’s college teams. Alabama begins defence of its title next weekend in Denver.
Feser will also see doubly duty when Canada plays the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of Illinois and Alabama in tournament action.
“I’m going to play for both of my teams and I will see how that goes.”
FREE THROWS: The Edmonton Inferno, Feser’s club team, will host a tournament April 24 to 25 at Servus Credit Union Place. Team Canada head coach Bill Johnson will also help instruct at a camp held in conjunction with the event. The Inferno are the six-time defending Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball league champions.
