Sports Organizations

Adapted sports organizations are listed here in alphabetical order. Many offer yearlong, four-season activities while others concentrate on a single sport. This is only a sampling of what's out there because new adapted sports facilities spring up all the time. Excellent programs also are offered through your local park district, YMCA, YWCA or community center. Also, try the Internet and search for "adapted sports," "handicapped sports" or "sports AND disability." The name of the game is f-u-n!

The Short List:
Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte
http://www.adaptivesports.org
In summer and winter, skiing, snowboarding, white water rafting, fly-fishing and horseback riding at the Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte provides people of all abilities with terrific opportunities for fun and friendship!

Breckenridge Outdoor Recreation Center (BORC)
http://www.boec.org/index.cfm
Following the same philosophy as Wilderness Inquiry, BORC brings together people of all abilities. For 20 years, BORC has offered outstanding wilderness trips, professional training, canoe expeditions, the opportunity to learn new skills, meet new friends and enjoy new challenges.

Canadian National Sledge Hockey Team
http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/4192/la_id/1.htm
In Canada and Europe it's called "sledge" hockey. Played mainly by people with various lower extremity disabilities, using sleds affixed to 2 hockey skate blades under the seat. (Sleds are about 3 inches off the ice and are 2-4 feet long. Players use 3-foot hockey sticks, and digging pics for pushing off.

Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association - Association canadienne de basketball en fauteuil roulant
http://www.cwba.ca
CWBA is in the business of promoting excellence and developing opportunities for Canadians in the game of wheelchair basketball.

Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation
http://www.casacolina.org
Outdoor adventures include ocean sailing, rock climbing, white-water rafting, snow skiing, horse-packing, water skiing, deep sea fishing, back packing, freshwater fishing, winter camping, dog sledding, sea kayaking, and family camping. This program is open to people of all abilities

Challenge Aspen
http://www.challengeaspen.com/index2.asp
Challenge Aspen offers year-round adventures for children and adults that cater to both groups and individuals in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.
Group Programs: Challenge Aspen will accommodate specific groups complete with organized accommodations, transportation and a full itinerary of activities ranging from outdoor recreation combined with art and cultural activities for both summer and winter. Summer outdoor activities include whitewater rafting, horseback riding, tethered hot-air balloon rides with continental breakfast, fly fishing combined with art and cultural activities such as water-color painting in the outdoors, ceramics and musical events. Advanced group bookings are required.

Chicago Blizzards Sledge Hockey Team
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com
Contact the Chicago Park District for information about sled hockey and many other adaptive sports

Courage Center
http://www.courage.org
Physical fitness and leisure activities are a vital part of creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Courage Center's Sports and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of recreation and competitive sports programs (from wheelchair tennis to Alpine skiing and everything in-between) to enhance independence, improve self confidence and encourage an active, healthy lifestyle for people with physical disabilities. Programs are designed to help participants develop life-long interests and develop to their highest potential.

Disabled Sports USA
http://www.dsusa.org
DS/USA offers nationwide sports rehabilitation programs to anyone with a permanent physical disability. Activities include winter skiing, water sports, summer and winter competitions, fitness and special sports events.

The Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA)
http://www.daaa.org
DAAA was formed in 1985 to develop, promote and provide quality amateur level athletic opportunities for dwarf athletes in the United States. The organization is dedicated to serving the estimated quarter million Americans who are dwarfs (4'10") due to chondrodystrophy or related causes. Clinics, developmental events and formal competitions are offered at local, regional and national levels. For the National Dwarf Games, the premier annual event, athletes compete under age, gender and functional ability classifications. DAAA offers programs for children through elite athletes.

Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA)
http://www.glasa.org
GLASA provides sports and recreation opportunities for youth and adults with physical and visual disabilities. Based in Lake Forest, IL, GLASA offers a wide range of sports and activities both indoors and out, including wheelchair and ambulatory basketball, hand-cycling, kayaking, floor hockey, ice sled hockey, tennis, aerobics, swimming and more. There is also a week long adaptive sports summer camp.

Great Outdoor Recreation Pages
http://www.gorp.com/gorp/eclectic/disabled.htm
Great Outdoor Recreation Pages is a huge Web site that lists travel and adventure opportunities all over North America and the rest of the world. Resources include attractions, activities, locations, an extensive list of books, magazines and videotapes, travel gear, etc. When you browse this site, you're given the option of clicking on specific sports and activities to access even more information. You'll find numerous recreation-related links.

International Paralympic Committee Information on Boccia:
http://www.paralympic.org/release/Summer_Sports/Boccia/About_the_sport/

Mountain Climbing
http://climb.mountainzone.com/2000/life/html/000531.html
Tim Ashwood has cerebral palsy and a passion for mountain climbing; see Special features, Climbing: Living the life, for Tim's stories and photos.

National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD)
http://www.ncpad.org/
No matter what your disability, NCPAD has thousands of resources for fitness and exercise. Search the NCPAD database of fact sheets, video clips, articles, programs, facilities, equipment, and fitness specialists. NCPAD has resources for all types of physical activity—on land or in water, indoor or outdoor, team or individual, assisted or unassisted.

National Disability Sports Alliance (NDSA)
http://www.ndsaonline.org
Already, in more than 40 states throughout this country, NDSA is a resource thatthe member athlete can turn to for help in coordinating his or her training. Headquartered in Newport, R.I., NDSA strives to enable its athletes to compete at their peak in local, regional, national and international levels. The overall goals are developed to provide both individualized sports training and competitive opportunities for athletes with cerebral palsy, or other related challenges, such as traumatic brain injuries or strokes.

National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic http://www.va.gov/vetevent/wsc/2002/default.asp
National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic promotes rehabilitation by instructing severely disabled veterans in adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing, and providing an introduction to other adaptive activities and sports. Participation is open to military service veterans with spinal cord injuries, orthopedic amputations, visual impairments, certain neurological problems and other disabilities.

National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD)
http://www.nscd.org
NSCD offers sports and recreation for the whole family, young or old, novice or advanced. It's a good place for a vacation and year-round sports instruction and activities ranging from skiing and snowboarding to bicycling, hiking, sailing, rock-climbing and camping - all geared to people with varying abilities.NSCD is a recognized leader in therapeutic recreation, with skilled ski instructors, outdoor recreation specialists and a large group of volunteers. They offer one-on-one group instruction and adaptive lessons to meet the needs of all participants from beginners to advanced.Alpine (downhill) skiing, cross-country, snowboarding and snowshoeing are available November through April. Their summer program begins in April and runs through early fall. Contact them for an information packet.

National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA)
http://www.nwba.org
The NWBA is composed of 181 basketball teams within 22 conferences. The NWBA was founded in 1948, and today consists of men's, women's, intercollegiate and youth teams throughout the country.

New England Bruins
http://www.newenglandbruins.com
The New England Bruins Sled Hockey Program leads the development of sled hockey throughout New England.

New England Handicapped Sports Association
http://www.nehsa.org
Anyone can learn to ski. NEHSA offers adaptive ski lessons to people of all ages and all disabilities. Skiers participate in either a stand up or sit-down program, some people try both. NEHSA will provide you with your adaptive equipment, instructors, volunteers and lessons. Mt.Sunapee will provide you with your lift ticket. For more information call: 1-800-628-4484 or 603-763-9158. NEHSA has year-around sports and social programs

Northeast Passage, a DS/USA local chapter
http://www.nepassage.org
Northeast Passage holds events and trips, provides sports instruction, equipment and equipment rental, lists sports organizations, and much more.

The Putting Edge
http://www.putting-edge.com/
The Putting Edge offers fun entertainment for everyone-indoor miniature golf with glow-in-the-dark golf balls. All locations in the U.S. (and many in Canada) are fully accessible and have shortened clubs, useful for children and wheelers. The Putting Edge also hosts parties and supply the pizza, soft drinks, and more.

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
http://www.richealthfit.org/programs/buffalo.htm
Health and Fitness Program
Blackhawk Sled Hockey Team
The RIC Blackhawk Sled Hockey Team made history by being the first U.S team ever to win the senior division of the annual North America sled hockey tournament sponsored by the Ontario Sledge Hockey Association.

The Skating Association for the Blind and Handicapped, Inc. (SABAH)
http://www.sabahinc.org
The Skating Association for the Blind and Handicapped, Inc. (SABAH) is entering its 20th year of teaching people with physical and mental disabilities to ice-skate. Starting at 16 months of age through adulthood, more than 8,000 people have learned to skate successfully. Trained volunteers work one-on-one or two-on-one with skaters to develop skills and to help skaters progress to more challenging skill levels. All skaters participate and perform in an annual ice show spectacular that more than 12,000 spectators attend. SABAH's uniquely designed assistive equipment includes walkers, its own line of adaptive ice-skates, and harnesses, functionally extending traditional concepts of assistive technology to the recreation arena.

Splore Accessible Outdoor Adventures
http://www.splore.org
Based in Utah—rafting, skiing, rock climbing, canoeing, and wilderness exploration. Awesome!

Special Olympics International
http://www.specialolympics.org/Special+Olympics+Public+Website/default.htm
The 20th of July 1998 marked the 30th Anniversary of Special Olympics. To honor this momentous landmark, Special Olympics launched a year-long, around-the-world celebration, which will culminate in July 1999 at the Special Olympics World Summer Games. The goal for this important moment in Special Olympics history is to honor the athletes, families and volunteers that have been instrumental in changing perceptions about mental retardation and building a bridge to the "next generation of heroes."

Team Rehab
http://www.teamrehab.org
Both physical therapy patients and wellness members are able to utilize a full line of state-of-the-art equipment and a therapeutic pool and enjoy the professional expertise on staff at Team Rehab.

Unites States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA)
http://www.usaba.org
USABA trains 3,000 blind and visually impaired athletes in nine sports—alpine and Nordic skiing, goalball, judo, power lifting, swimming, tandem cycling, track and field and wrestling.

U.S.A Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF)
http://www.usadsf.org
Provides year-round training and athletic competition in a variety of sports at the state, regional, national, and international level, for developing and elite athletes. USDSF assists athletes in developing physical fitness, sportsmanship, and self-esteem.

United States Handcycling Federation (USHF)
http://www.ushf.org

United States Quad Rugby Association (USQRA)
http://www.quadrugby.com/toc.htm

United States Sled Hockey Association
http://www.usahockey.com/ussha/main_site/main/home//

Wheelchair Sports, USA
http://www.wsusa.org
Wheelchair Sports, USA, now in its 42nd year, was founded in New York in 1956 in conjunction with the first National Wheelchair Games at Adelphi College. The initial impetus to organize Wheelchair Sports, USA, grew out of the interests of athletes with disabilities—many of whom were veterans of World War II. Today, Wheelchair Sports, USA, is organized geographically into fourteen regional associations, each responsible for developing local wheelchair sports programs and for conducting qualifying meets for the National Wheel chair Games.

Wilderness Inquiry
http://www.wildernessinquiry.org
Everyone owes themselves a visit to mother nature through Wilderness Inquiry (WI) sometime, if not once a year. WI creates outdoor adventures. Since 1978, more than 40,000 people of all ages and abilities have participated on dogsled, skiing, canoe, sea kayak and raft trips throughout North America, Australia, and Europe.Wilderness inquiry is a nonprofit organization that focuses on involving people from all walks of life—older, younger, people with disabilities, veterans, accountants, city people, country folks—anyone who would like to personally experience the natural world with a group.Based in northern Minnesota, WI serves both novice and experienced back country travelers. It's the unique mix of people and places that makes each WI trip a special experience. Trained facilitators help safely guide each group. A regular WI trip consists of a team of people, in which the combined strengths of the group make up for any individual limitations. WI believes "nothing matters as much as attitude—not experience, not physical ability, nor all the latest in outdoor gear." Visit WI's Web site for trips all over North America. WI also offers lodge-based adventures in beautiful surroundings.

Wintergreen Adaptive Skiing
http://www.skiwas.org/prog.html
A not-for-profit group in Wintergreen, Virginia that teaches adaptive skiing to people with any type of disability. See their Web site for all the details and to contact them.