They are the qualities new coach Ben Ettridge has seen as head coach of the world champion Australian Rollers in the past four years.

“They have to deal with so much adversity to perform at the elite level – I’ll be taking that resilience and toughness and applying it to the Wolves in the State Basketball League,” he said.

“To an SBL player a bad day might be their coffee order wasn’t right – but for them (wheelchair athletes) it’s finding no parking at a shopping centre or other issues of access.”

The Times caught up with Ettridge on the Wolves’ home court at the Joondalup Basketball Stadium last week, ahead of their two victories to start the season at the weekend.

He was leading training for local Rollers squad members Adam Deans, Shaun Norris and Nick Radovich.

Norris and Radovich were practising throwing baskets from the newly-extended three-point line.

The three players are also in pre-season training for the national league with the all-conquering Perth Wheelcats, a multi-premiership winning team coached by Ettridge for six years.

Ettridge returns to the SBL men’s competition after leaving it as a player in 2004.

He was an assistant to Wolves women’s coach Craig Friday last season in a reversal of roles as Friday is his assistant at the helm of the Rollers.

The Wolves beat Perry Lakes Hawks 94-79 on Saturday then backed up with a 90-83 win against the Goldfields Giants on Sunday.

The Wolves women opened their season with an away 71-63 win over Perry Lakes Hawks on Saturday.