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Team Staff Announced for 2022 Toyota Team U.S.A Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team

By NWBA High Performance Committee, 01/07/22, 5:15PM CST

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Burkett, Meyer and Paye join staff as first-time assistant coaches on U.S. Senior National Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) High Performance Committee and U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Robb Taylor are excited to announce the remainder of the team staff for the 2022 Toyota Team U.S.A Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team. Joining Taylor on the sidelines as assistant coaches are Christian Burkett of Seattle, Washington, Scott Meyer of Columbia, Missouri and Michael Paye of Warren, MI. The other two team staff members are Jeremy Johnson of Dothan, Alabama, as medical staff and Tony Frescas of Omaha, Nebraska, as team leader.

Burkett, the head coach of the Seattle Sonics wheelchair basketball team for the last thirteen years, comes to the team after serving in a variety of coaching roles at various NWBA High Performance Camps in past years. Burkett served as an assistant coach for the U.S. U23 Men’s team at the 2017 IWBF U23 Men’s World Championships. He was a member of the 2016 U.S. Men’s Paralympic Games Selection Committee, where Team USA won a gold medal at the Rio Paralympic Games, its first since 1988.

Meyer returns for his second term serving as a U.S. assistant coach as he was assistant coach for the U.S. U23 Men’s team at the 2017 IWBF U23 Men’s World Championships. Meyer also was six-year assistant coach for the University of Missouri wheelchair basketball team. He also served as the team leader of U.S. Men’s National Team staff from 2013-2019. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in health science and earned two master’s degree in public health and education from the University of Missouri.

Paye joins the ranks of coaching at the U.S. national team level for the first time, having an very accomplished career as U.S.A. wheelchair basketball athlete. Paye has served as a co-captain for the U.S. Men’s National Team from 2003-2010 and 2013-2021.  Paye won a gold medal at both the 2016 Rio Paralympics and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Paye was also member of U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2004 Athens Paralympics and 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Paye is a three-time silver medalist at the IWBF World Championships in 2006, 2014 and 2018; and bronze medalist at the 2010 IWBF World Championships.

Johnson joins the staff after supporting the U.S. Men’s National Team in a volunteer role of athletic trainer from 2018 to 2021. Johnson has previously attend an international competition with the U.S. Men’s National Team attending the 2018 IWBF World Championships in Hamburg, Germany. Johnson is also a certified NWBA classifier.

Frescas served in the team leader role for the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2019 Parapan American Games and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Frescas is also an avid floor official within the NWBA domestic league, including officiating at several NWBA national tournaments. Frescas has also officiated the wheelchair basketball portion of Invictus Games; an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick service men and women, both serving and veterans.