With shouts of “ball ball ball!” and choreographed movements, 18 Soldiers and veterans in recovery ran rugby passing drills inside of Fort Stewart’s Newman Gym May 23.

But instead of using their feet to run, the athletes used their hands to steer rugby wheelchairs specifically designed for the sport.

All while looking for the next pass and catching it.

It’s a combination of strength, coordination and teamwork.

The 18 rugby athletes are part of a 40-Soldier team that practiced at Fort Stewart before competing for the Army in the DoD Warrior Games June 21-30 in Orlando, Florida.

Winn Army Community Hospital’s Soldier Recovery Unit sponsored the Army team for an Army Sports Team Camp, part of the Army Recovery Care Program. The weeklong camp ended May 24 and included practices for other adaptive team sports as well as learning sessions about mobility, nutrition and sports psychology.

The 18 Soldier athletes practicing at Fort Stewart are part of a 40-Soldier team competing for the Army in the DoD Warriors Games, said Maj. Casey Turner, the officer in charge of the Army Recovery Care Program, based out of the Defense Health headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

First, the 40 Soldiers were selected at their closest Soldier Recovery Unit and then competed at the Army-level trials at Fort Liberty in March.

“At that point, they're selected for a team army for the Warrior Games…the penultimate championship for them to really get out and compete against not only the other service teams within the DOD but also with some of our international counterparts,” she said.

The process is rigorous, and they are assessed on personal attributes, teamwork, and performance ability, Turner said.

Back on the court, watching the controlled chaos of the rugby players conducting a communications drill involving one teammate leading a blindfolded teammate while both steered their wheelchairs, Turner was amused but stressed the value of the exercise.

“There’s nothing like putting a bunch of blindfolded people in a rugby chair and trying to get them across the court,” Turner said. “That’s a great exercise in teamwork and communication, which is so important in wheelchair rugby.”

Once passing drills and scrimmaging started, the blindfolds came off. The focus on team cohesion stayed in place, however. Staff Sgt. Abel Baez was one of the 18 Soldiers on the court running passing drills and benefiting from the recovery program.

Baez spent 14 years in active duty during his 19 years with the Florida National Guard as an infantryman. He injured his knee and was sent to Fort Stewart’s Soldier Recovery Unit.

Following his injury, Baez said he went to a “bad place” after he arrived at the SRU and was told he would be discharged because of it.

“When I came here after my injury to get surgery, going through that transition of hearing you’re not gonna be able to stay in the military anymore and that you’re gonna have to be discharged, you can become very stressed and a lot of things run through your mind,” Baez said. “Some people, I’ve heard, feel like their lives are over.”

Now, two years into his time at the SRU, the Army’s Adaptive Reconditioning Program changed Baez outlook on life and his injury. He learned about the sports program from the physical therapists at the SRU after starting his recovery journey.

“That's when they brought it into my life, and they told me it's a great program (with) great support,” he said. “You get to play sports with your brethren, and this is why I’m in.”

Baez’s adaptive sports teammates provide him the support he felt he had lost after leaving his previous unit. They filled a void, providing support Baez needed in his life, he said.

“I felt like I had another family back in my life,” he said. “Once they tell you that you're getting out, it's like you're losing your family. These guys, they help you not just physically, but mentally, help you recover from your injuries, and at the same time, they give you the support that you need.”

Having a team to help Soldiers like Baez with their emotional health while they benefit both physically and mentally from exercise is important, Dr. Yvonne LaRochelle, adaptive reconditing lead at Fort Stewart SRU, said. Being on a team brings back the structure Soldiers look for in their lives.

“The adaptive sports themselves are very key because it brings back that team element,” LaRochelle said. “A lot of the Soldiers are either transitioning into the civilian world or they're heading back to duty. But for those that are transitioning to the civilian world, they don't have that sense of camaraderie and team anymore as they exit out. Having a team that they can call on or be that sergeant major again or that that drill sergeant or staff sergeant—that ability to lead, they crave that. They look for that.”

LaRochelle has 20 years of physical therapy experience, eight of those with the military. Her goal as a physical therapist is to help Soldiers in recovery get over the fear of having been injured and retrain them to use their bodies in different ways, especially those with neurological or musculoskeletal issues.

Turner echoed the sentiment of the structure Soldiers look for in life and how competing in adaptive sports can help.

“Our goal is nested in our name, which is recovery, whether that be transition to the veteran status or back to their active-duty status,” she said. “We're fostering the same values of the Army, teamwork, leadership, personal courage and selfless service. We really embody those not only in the Army, but also here on the team. These athletes work so well together, and that camaraderie helps them through the recovery process.”

The team aspect extends not only to the Soldier athletes competing but behind the scenes, too, LaRochelle said. The SRU leadership, Winn Army Community Hospital’s leadership, and the physical therapy staff all make the program possible, from conditioning the Soldiers to checking on equipment.

“I don't do this all myself,” she said. “I have a wonderful team that backs me.

“We all come together as a group. If we didn’t have the support of our higher leadership in echelon, none of this could be possible.”

The Army recovery program selected Fort Stewart as the hub for training not only because of its proximity to Orlando, allowing for easy logistical support, but because of that team spirit, Turner said.

“The program that's currently on ground, that Dr. Ivanna La Rochelle has produced is really amazing” Turner said. “She has a great, program that really supports the adaptive reconditioning sports program and the Army Recovery Care program.”

Coordination between Fort Stewart’s Family, Morale Welfare and Recreation directorate and the USO were also part of making the sport camp a success, Turner said.

LaRochelle watched the passing drills, watching the Soldiers gel as a team. She joked that physical therapist are sometimes called “physical terrorists” because of their zeal to get people fit again, but seeing the Soldiers play softens that sting.

“It gives you that purpose and the reason for what you do,” LaRochelle said. “It’s the gift for seeing everything come together in one piece. It’s a work of art.”

To learn more about the Army Recovery Care Program, visit https://www.arcp.army.mil/.