Daniel Ellman was born with spina bifida, a neural tube defect where the spinal cord doesn’t close properly while in utero. While spina bifida can impact individuals differently, Ellman lives with paralysis from the waist down and uses a manual wheelchair for mobility. 

In high school, Ellman played wheelchair basketball for three seasons on a team based out of Sterling Heights, Michigan. 

“I was in mainstream school my whole life and was typically the only wheelchair user among able-bodied peers,” said Ellman, internal communication manager at Michigan Medicine.

“Wheelchair basketball was the first time in my life I was able to blend in with others.” 

An early and active supporter

Outside of basketball, advocating for the disability community was always a big part of Ellman’s life. Growing up, he served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the March of Dimes before becoming a member of the board of directors of his local chapter.

In college, Ellman participated in an advocacy group called “Wheels of Change” that aimed to improve accessibility and awareness on his campus. 

He has given presentations in recent years to colleagues about the importance of inclusive language and imagery when it comes to disabilities, among other topics. 

“In my work life, I make it a point to try and educate others about how to properly communicate about disability and why it’s so important,” Ellman said. “I’m confident that people want to do the right thing and don’t strive to offend others, but often they don’t have the tools or resources available to learn how. I try to change that.” 

One of Ellman’s favorite ways to both advocate for the disability community and enjoy his love of basketball is by coaching the Rollverines, Michigan Medicine’s youth wheelchair basketball team. He has coached the Rollverines since 2017, when the program was established. 

“I was working on a story about an adaptive kayaking clinic held by University of Michigan Adaptive and Inclusive Sports Experience, and the person I was interviewing mentioned they were trying to start a competitive wheelchair basketball program for kids,” Ellman said.

“The interviewee had no idea I use a wheelchair, had played wheelchair basketball in high school or was interested in going into coaching,” Ellman said, laughing. “It was just a crazy coincidence.”

A few days later, Ellman was in a meeting that would lead to the formation of the Rollverines and his new coaching gig.

Rolling into action 

Rollverines participate in the junior prep division of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. Ellman’s team typically includes 12 or 13 athletes ages 5 to 14. The athletes have some type of disability that prevents them from playing able-bodied basketball, though not all use a wheelchair full-time in their daily lives. 

Ellman travels with eight or nine players to compete in tournaments several times a year. In February, the Rollverines went to the Midwest Conference Championships in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they finished fourth out of 11 teams.

This qualified them for the National Wheelchair Basketball Championship tournament in Richmond, Virginia. The tournament in April featured the top 20 teams in the nation, and it was the first time the Rollverines had earned an invitation. While they didn’t bring home hardware from the tournament, Ellman said it was a rewarding experience.

“It’s pretty cool for these kids to go to these tournaments and play against teams made up of kids they can relate to,” he said.

Ellman believes the social aspect of the Rollverines is especially important to his athletes.

“The program enables the kids to be around others who share a similar lived experience, and that might not always be available to them in classrooms or other activities with able-bodied peers,” he said.

“Recently, the kids were having a conversation comparing how many surgeries they’d had — not in a negative, traumatic way, but just as a way of sharing what they go through.”

One of Ellman’s favorite parts of coaching the Rollverines is seeing the athletes’ confidence grow.

“I have one athlete who was injured in a car accident less than a year ago,” he said. “At his first few practices, he was shy and timid, but over this season, we’ve watched him blossom.” 

Connecting with families 

Another part of working with the Rollverines that Ellman values is serving as a mentor to families. Not only does Ellman foster a trusting relationship with his players, he also develops relationships with their parents and loved ones.

“Parents will come up to me with questions about their kid’s life outside of basketball,” Ellman said. 

“I’m able to help answer questions they might have, whether it’s about dealing with bullying at school, going to college, driving, or any other aspect of living every day with a disability.” 

Ellman also believes his team can be a source of inspiration to others and likes to share his experience coaching the Rollverines because he thinks it’s an important step in educating others and reframing their view of wheelchair users. 

“So often when you have a disability, you talk about what you can’t do,” Ellman said. “When these kids get on the court, it’s all about what they can do.”