Since 1976, the Movin’ Mavs at the University of Texas at Arlington have been inspiring student athletes to play hard, study harder, dream big, and come together in team spirit and camaraderie. That not-so-secret sauce comes together under Doug Garner’s extraordinary skills as coach and mentor. Under his 13-year tenure as coach, the team has brought home two of their nine national championships (2016-17 & 2020-21) and has never ranked less than third. Garner’s distinguished career in the adaptive sports field and as a disability advocate was recognized in 2015 when he was named a Champion of Change by the Obama-led White House. In 2019, Garner was inducted into the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Hall of Fame, and in 2021, he was named an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s U23 World Championships.
Editor’s Note: This one minute documentary was created in partnership with Dr. Erika Pribanic-Smith, Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Texas at Arlington, and UTA seniors like Chris Alford who are members of her Fall 2021 digital storytelling class. Chris’ one minute documentary is the second in his series exploring unique aspects of sports and fan culture in Arlington. Feature photo from UTA Archives. To learn more about the UTA Movin’ Mavs and the team’s founder and long-time coach Jim Hayes, click here.
