A local wheelchair basketball team said it cannot afford to continue practicing at Johnson Gym.
For the past four years, the Albuquerque Kings have paid $500 to practice at Johnson Center's south gym for each session, said Jake Schmalzriedt, a forward on the team.
But members will have to dish out an extra $300 each session if they want to continue playing at the gym, he said.
Roger Wrolstad, manager of Johnson Center, said he's only being fair.
Nonstudent organizations pay $800 to rent the south gym for half a day and $1,500 for a full day, Wrolstad said.
"The important thing here is that we have been generous with this group for too long," he said. "We have tried to accommodate them for so long, and it's time to treat them like everyone else."
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Schmalzriedt said the team cannot afford the new fee and is devastated.
"We were handed an invoice on January 22," he said. "And by mid-February, I had called Roger (Wrolstad) and said that the team would be late paying because the funds were not readily available, but the money would be in soon. That's when he said that we were being kicked out."
Wrolstad said having the gym available for students is his main priority.
"I have an entire University campus to take care of, and the gym needs to be available to the students, first and foremost," he said.
Schmalzriedt said the Kings have used Johnson Gym for the past 27 years. The team practices once a week there and twice a week at local community centers, he said.
"This team helps people with disabilities live more productive lives," he said. "The team is a source of hope to all of its members."
Kings guard Jose Cabrera said the team is part of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association and is the only team of its kind in New Mexico.
He said the Sacramento Kings sponsor the team, but that money goes toward travel expenses.
Cabrera said Wrolstad's decision is unfair.
"We feel like we are the minority and that we are getting pushed around," he said. "We need all the support we can get. We want people to come and watch us play to see how much this team means to every one of its players."
