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LWBA HISTORY
In
1976, the Forest City Flyers was just an idea in the minds of a few area athletes, but on
January 6, 1977 a very inexperience group of athletes played Brantford in their first
Wheelchair Basketball game. This game, played and won by a score of 31-16 was the first
and only win the Flyers were to have that season.
1978
brought more experience and confidence to the club, which saw 9 wins and 1 loss. That
season saw the Flyers as finalists in the Southern Ontario Wheelchair Basketball League
and as finalists in their first Octoberfest Tournament.
The
1979-80 season saw the Flyers as SOWBL finalists and as 1st place and 2nd place finishers
in the Rochester Invitational and the McDonald Laser Tournament in Kingston, respectively.
 By the fall of 1980, the Flyers were ready
for the big time. The NWBA (National Wheelchair Basketball Association) was calling. The
Flyers were one of the founding teams of the new Ontario Conference of the NWBA. With 10
wins and only 2 losses the Flyers became the Ontario Conference Champions. In the spring
of '81 the Flyers won both the Cambridge and Hurst Tournaments.
1981-82
was another year of accomplishments for the Flyers. With 11 wins and 1 loss, they once
again secured the Ontario Conference Championship. A first Place win in the Jack Purcell
Tournament in Ottawa finished off a very fulfilling year of competitive basketball.
In
the 82-83 season, the Flyers finished with 7 wins and 5 losses, good for a tie for 3rd
place in the conference. For the second straight year the Flyers won the Jack Purcell
Tournament in Ottawa.
In
83-84, for the third time in the four year history of the Ontario Conference, the Flyers
won the league championship with a record of 8 wins and 4 losses.
The
Flyers of 1984-85 were once again a dominating team in Ontario, finishing with 12 wins and
only 2 losses. Seven members of the Flyers were selected to the Ontario Basketball team.
- In 1985 the Flyers
initiated a rebuilding program necessitated by the loss of several veterans who left the
London area. This rebuilding program now appears to have finally paid huge dividends.
- In 1986 the Flyers
won the London Forest City Flyer's Invitational Wheelchair Basketball Tournament. The
Flyers have been finalists in the 88 and 89 Rochester Tournaments and the 89 and 90 PEI
Tourneys. Several of the Flyers have been selected to the Ontario and Canadian Wheelchair
Basketball Teams from 1985 to present.
- The Flyers were
finalists in the PEI Tourney in May 1990 and Divisional Champs in the September 90 Houston
Tournament.
- October and
November of 90 saw the Flyers go undefeated in winning the Rochester and Connecticut
Tournaments. The Flyers went 11-1 in the 1990-91 regular season and for their fifth time
won the Lake Ontario Conference Championship.
- In 1991 the Flyers
were ranked 35th among the 200 plus teams in North America and then 29th, 26th and 22nd in
92, 93 and 94 respectively. This trend continued upwards for the next several years.
- 2001 the Flyers
ranked 5th in NWBA Division II finals in Charlotte, VA
- 2003, Cleveland OH,
NWBA Division III finals, Flyers came in 5th place. Also the Flyers won GOLD in the
Defi Sportif in Montreal. Keith Cartwright was inducted into CWBA Basketball
Hall of Fame.
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