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Wheelchair Racing   Ready-to-Race Position Athletes must remain seated on the cushion or seat of the wheelchair. Lean upper body forward so shoulders are ahead of hips. Hold knees and feet together in the center of the chair. Grasp wheels or handrails at 11 o'clock position; i.e., just behind highest point of wheel (12 o'clock position) with thumbs inside and fingers outside. Keep head slightly forward and focus several meters ahead.   Forward Stroke and Recovery From ready-to-race position, push the wheels or handrails forward from 11 o'clock to the 4 o'clock position, and release hands from wheels. Keep moving arms and hands in a circular motion, i.e., past 6 and 9 o'clock positions, and recover to the 11 o'clock position. Keep body and head still during stroke and recovery.   Coaches' Tips For Wheelchair Racers — At-a-Glance Tips for Practice Demonstrate the ready position. Prompt athlete to reposition an arm, hand, leg, etc., by touching it, or reposition it in the correct position. For athletes with balance difficulties, position feet upward against chair, raising knees to chest. Illustrate stroke, showing a wheel and clock positions for hands. Remind the athlete to keep body trunk and head still, and move only the arms and hands. Upper body movement, i.e., bouncing or rocking back and forth, will slow the chair's momentum. Explain that the strongest part of a stroke should be from the 12 o'clock to the four o'clock position. Conduct practice competitions; work on reacting to the sound of the start command. Concentrate on getting both hands to stroke and recover in unison and with equal strength so the chair's motion is smooth and efficient. Caution the athlete to avoid stroking past the 5 o'clock position, as this may cause serious injury to the athlete's hands, arms or shoulders. Wheelchair athletes with arm paralysis may pull their chairs forward or push their chairs backward with their feet. Athletes who push their chairs must start with the back wheels behind the start line, and must wear helmets.

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