Lakeshore Demolition’s Brackett on training squad for Parapan, World wheelchair rugby teams

Clayton Brackett, a 22-year-old member of the Lakeshore Demolition wheelchair rugby team, has been selected to the 2015 USA Wheelchair Rugby Training Squad, Lakeshore Foundation announced.

Thirty-four athletes, the largest group in several years, participated in drills and scrimmages during the four-day selection camp. Fifteen players were selected, including Brackett, who lives in Vestavia Hills.

These 15 players will train together for several months before a team of 12 is selected to compete in the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto in August. In October, the team will go to London to play in the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships. 

Another selection camp will most likely be held in December to select the U.S. Paralympic Team that will compete in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in September 2016.

Brackett, who is originally from Irvine, California, said he is “super-psyched” about making the training squad. He said he is ready to continue training and is focused on making the ParaPan team of 12 players that will compete in Toronto and London.

Brackett has lived here since 2013 after playing wheelchair basketball at the University of Illinois on a scholarship. He’s currently finishing up a degree in business management at UAB.

He began playing wheelchair basketball when he was 5, but while at Illinois he joined the St. Louis club wheelchair rugby team. He just completed his second season playing for the Lakeshore Demolition.