Stuart Klugler Photo courtesy Stuart Klugler
May 15, 2008
One of Emily Seelenfreund’s recent literary acquisitions is a signed copy of Wheelchair Basketball: One Rebound at a Time, written by former West Orange landsman Stuart Klugler. During his college career at Drew University, Klugler found time to play two seasons of basketball for the school team. The experience gave him a perspective and appreciation for those whose competitive drives overshadow their physical disabilities.
Upon graduation, Klugler, 47, went to work for AT&T in Piscataway. A temporary assignment in Colorado turned into a permanent relocation. It also gave him the opportunity to meet and work with some extraordinary people, whom he has written about in Wheelchair Basketball.
The book, published by Livevest, profiles 12 players, as well as coaches and administrators.
“I wanted to bring in older and younger players at the same time, guys who really stood out when they played,” Klugler told NJJN during a recent family visit to Montclair. “This was an untold story and I have the capability of writing and knowing sports so I thought that this was my way of telling the story.” He published his first book, Downsizing, Outsourcing, & Backstabbing: Memoirs From A Techie in the Telecom Industry, in 2006.
“I don’t even recognize these guys as being disabled,” he said. “I recognize them as just being in a chair, just like a race car driver.
“It’s not until you room with them and see [how they live]…that kind of woke me up. They live vibrant lives.”
One of his inspirations was the late Larry Sidebottom, a legend of the wheelchair game. “He was involved in a lot of sports and recreation programs for able-bodied as well as for people with disabilities, particularly [in the] Special Olympics. He told me he played wheelchair basketball and I always had an affinity towards sports, so I went to watch. Little by little, I began coaching the team.”
An expertise in fundamentals isn’t enough, said Klugler. “You really have to know wheelchair basketball…. I think being around it, being in a chair to run practices, really helps you, so I think the guys who are really successful in coaching really understand the chair game.”
Klugler even filled in when one of his players was absent. Although the rules are the same as the standard game — including the height of the basket — he found himself at a disadvantage. “I’m used to stepping over things like picks and all of a sudden you have somebody behind you and you’re not able to go over him. From that standpoint, you had to rethink a lot of things.”
The 2008 Paralympics will be played at the conclusion of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Klugler is hopeful these athletes will get their due in the form of increased visibility. “China is trying to show that image that they’re no longer this communist country, they’re opening their doors, so to speak, even though they probably have bad relationships with people with disabilities inside the country.”
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