ROLL WITH IT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AND SUPPORT STAFF

About the Director…

Hi. My name is Heidi Schwichtenberg, Executive Director of Roll With It.  In case you do not know me, let me share a little background on myself and why I founded Roll With It.  Since childhood, sports—basketball in particular—has been an important part of my life.  I was involved in sports from elementary through high school (Kimball, MN native), and then played on the College of Saint Benedict’s basketball team during my undergraduate studies.

Athletic involvement opened doors to growth and excitement that I never could have envisioned possible.  I was fortunate enough to be a part of the action during my senior year in college when the Blazer basketball team made it to the Final Four in 1999.  After graduating, I decided to become a sports official in volleyball, basketball and softball.  Currently MSHSL and MYAS/AAU certified, I officiate countless games around the state and thoroughly enjoy it.  I have also worked numerous years of summer basketball camps.  Currently, I am a substitute physical education, special education, health, and DAPE instructor in the Anoka-Hennepin, Hopkins, and Wayzata School Districts.  It is not surprising, therefore, that my life’s vocation (a work in progress!) has come to involve sports.

I was blessed with the opportunity to volunteer at the Courage Center, located in Golden Valley, MN, as part of my post-graduate program at SCSU.  It is here that I encountered athletes playing in a wheelchair basketball tournament, and was immediately inspired with our common ground- the love of the game.  This was my first personal experience with individuals with disabilities playing sports on a competitive level.   It was a life-altering experience and I knew this was something I wanted to stay involved in the rest of my life.  Since that time, I have become a wheelchair basketball official and have been an active volunteer with the Sports and Recreation Department at Courage Center.

I truly respect and admire the wheelchair athletes that I have met and officiated, as well as the sport itself.  They do not let their physical challenges confine them to an inactive life.  These athletes are extremely active and talented, yet sometimes foundations and corporations do not understand the value of sports and recreation in people’s lives, which can make funding and sponsorship challenging.  I, for one, was surprised by the lack of awareness by the general public regarding wheelchair athletics.  They are many youth out there with permanent physical disabilities that do not realize the opportunities they can have in wheelchair athletics, especially in the rural areas.  I was determined to do my part to raise awareness and support wheelchair athletics.  This was my motivation for developing Roll With It.

Participation in sports plays a vital role in the rehabilitation of those with disabilities and can often be a catalyst for increased self-confidence, self-esteem, and a positive outlook on life.  For others, it provides a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle or to explore new talents and bring out the best they can be in the competitive arena.  For all, there is a sense of achievement that cannot be measured.   Sports and recreation involvement has tremendous physical, psychological, and social benefits for the players, especially youth.  Positive role models provided by top athletes encourage youth with disabilities to use sports as a springboard for personal development and growth.  These benefits should be available to every individual—non-disabled or not.  I Corinthians 13, shares one of my favorite passages, "Faith, hope, and love…and the greatest of these is love."   And so the vision dawned on me, what a great combination: love and sports.   Service to others represents love in action.  I hope Roll With It can continue to make a difference for many years to come.

Heidi Schwichtenberg
Roll With It Director
(763) 350-3073
heidi@rollwithitmn.org