Dorset Demons: spearheading wheelchair basketball in Dorset
A look into a club with community at heart
Dorset Demons are Dorset's only wheelchair basketball club, but they are looking to promote their club into the national league within the next years.
Founded five years ago by owner Terry Dennis, the Demons are looking to increase their participation and attendance to enter the national wheelchair basketball league for the first time next season.
The club offer two hours weekly sessions for all people whether physically disabled or not.
Currently, participation is in double figures for people for each Thursday session but the club still requires more players to field a team next season to get into the National League - Division 3.
The club is also proud to present multiple players who have completed their coaching license.
Terry Dennis:
Dorset's Golden Community Asset
Dorset Demons are Dorset's only wheelchair basketball club, but they are looking to promote their club into the national league within the next years.
Founded five years ago by owner Terry Dennis, the Demons are looking to increase their participation and attendance to enter the national wheelchair basketball league for the first time next season.
The club offer two hours weekly sessions for all people whether physically disabled or not.
Currently, participation is in double figures for people for each Thursday session but the club still requires more players to field a team next season to get into the National League - Division 3.
The club is also proud to present multiple players who have completed their coaching license.
"I came back into wheelchair basketball in 2021. Upon finding out there were no teams to play for, I founded Dorset Demons"
Dorset Demons are set to celebrate their 5th anniversary in September.
Terry Dennis is the head coach of Dorset Demons, a club he set up five years ago to serve as Dorset's premier wheelchair basketball club.
Dennis was a big footballer but once he became disabled, he wanted to have a sport to play.
Throughout the 90s and 2000s, Dennis was active playing wheelchair basketball locally in Dorset but took a break until the Coronavirus pandemic hit.
In 2021, he returned to the wheelchair basketball scene but was left once again without a club in Dorset to play for or represent.
Dennis was awarded with the local sports personality unsung hero award in 2023 for his contributions to local sport by the BBC.
Arriving at a training session for the Dorset Demons late during that year, Dennis was surprised with the award.
The award, however, was not only given for his contributions to Dorset Demons but also fora local disability cycling club at Moors Valley country club and a local wheelchair fencing club.
Founded as a means of exercise after the Covid-19 lockdown, Terry Dennis received a grant from Basketball England for ten taster sessions.
This grant was given to him through a partnership with Sport England and Active Dorset who gave the money for the ten sessions.
Also, fundraising for the club stepped up last year with a fundraiser for the club involving covering the distance of Dorset.
The Demons Team covered the entire distance of Dorset (1,024 square miles) with each player either pushing their wheelchair, walking, running or hand-cycling for this.
The fundraiser was fully completed with two days to spare in June with the full area covered on the 28th.
Through this fundraiser, the club raised over £1,000 in the month of June last year.
Hopes remain that more players will be committed to grow the club as high as possible.
Currently, only a handful of players at the club are looking to play competitively at a high level.
Dennis referred to the British Motability Scheme Inspire League as the "National League of basketball" with entry into the National League - Division 3 meaning an entry into league basketball (equivalent to League Two in football).
The commitment needed to enter this league would be large due to the travelling required to get all across the south of England - including reaching destinations like Cambridge and Folkestone.
The club are proud to have two level 2 trained basketball coaches which is the requirement to get into the National League.
On the promotion, Dennis said: "Everything is in place for us to enter the Division 3 - we just need a few more players."
Dorset Demons as an asset to the local area
Pete Ball
Pete Ball, regular attendee at Dorset Demons. Photo: Moritz Baer
Pete Ball, regular attendee at Dorset Demons. Photo: Moritz Baer
"Terry's doing a brilliant job here and he's getting lots of people into the game"
When Pete first started playing wheelchair basketball there was two teams. Now, the only team left is Dorset Demons.
Dorset demons at the Ashdown Leisure centre in Poole. Photo: Moritz Baer
Dorset demons at the Ashdown Leisure centre in Poole. Photo: Moritz Baer
This in mind, the club has already expanded since its formation and now has double figures weekly for attendance within its sessions.
When asked about the skillset required to play at the Dorset Demons, Ball said: "I think it's a lot more skilful than the NBA. That being said, it's a completely different skillset required to play here."
On the issue of promotion into the Division 3 National League for next season, Ball said:"I hope they can climb up the leagues from the inspire league onto a national level into the National league."
The future is bright for the Demons, and as the club head into their fifth year since foundation all fingers are crossed that they will enter the National League next season.
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