February
18, 2006 - Doyle Mann of the Devil Rays
Wheelchair Softball Team has been officially appointed by Commissioner Wheaton as NWSA's new assistant commissioner in charge
of new team development. Mann has been instrumental in starting new programs in the southeastern United States
and will now take on a national focus in NWSA's endeavor to develop new teams throughout the country.
Doyle has more than 25
years of wheelchair sports experience including softball, basketball, tennis, handcycling, racquetball, road racing and track
and field. He has coached wheelchair and able-bodied athletes in most of the previously mentioned sports and has been an avid
baseball fan since he was 8 years old. It was that love for baseball and wheelchair sports that spawned the idea of forming
a wheelchair softball team in the TampaBay
area and the 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, Wheelchair Sports of Tampa Bay. This organization is dedicated to organizing
a Wheelchair Sports program that will introduce and enable wheelchair athletes to compete in the sport of their choice.
The
Devil Rays Wheelchair Softball team is affiliated with Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Devil Rays and invites any
interested wheelchair athlete to become a part of the first wheelchair softball team in the Southeastern
United States. The Wheelchair Rays have participated in tournaments in Tampa, Florida, Columbus, Ohio, Omaha,
Nebraska and New York City.
Doyle is the founder and with much assistance from his wife, Natalie, has been instrumental in fundraising and managing the
Rays’ since their inception in 2004.
His vision is to see any wheelchair athlete have the opportunity to participate
in wheelchair sports and realizes this will greatly increase their social, physical and mental well-being, as well as their
self-confidence.
