Adaptive Sports for Kids Brings Joy to Special Needs Children
Through adaptive sports, this Texas-based organization is changing the lives of disabled children and adults.
If Allen Nation had a dollar for every smile he saw on the faces of special needs children each time they hit a baseball or caught a fish, he’d be a wealthy man.
Nation, the executive director of Adaptive Sports for Kids in Nederland, Texas, has seen hundreds of happy kids and parents since co-founding the nonprofit organization in 2011. Kids and adults participate in different sports throughout the year, including taekwondo in January, baseball in the spring and fall, bowling and soccer in June, and basketball in August. A banquet is held each year, and participants receive trophies, certificates and medals.
The best part is all activities are 100 percent free for all participants.
“We get paid in smiles,” said Nation, who works for a company that services ATM machines. “It doesn’t cost anything to make a person smile. That’s the way we look at it. There is no greater feeling than to watch a child that doesn’t think he can do it, and ends up doing it, and to see the satisfaction and how proud he or she is that they just accomplished something they never thought they would be able to do.”
Starting from Scratch
Nation’s daughter Gabbi was diagnosed with spina bifida, but he and his wife Ronda wanted her to lead an active life like any other child. They enrolled her in the Little League Challenger Division, a program for kids with physical and intellectual challenges. Nation and several other league organizers began getting feedback from parents calling for more than just the six or seven games played during the spring. That’s when they realized the community needed an outlet that would offer more activities to disabled kids year round. They filed paperwork to start a 501(©)(3) devoted to kids and adults with special needs.
“We started our organization with nothing,” Nation recalled. “No funds, no equipment, nothing.”
What they did have was dedication and a commitment to reach as many individuals as possible. Using their Challenger database as a starting point, they began contacting parents and invited them to join. They also spread the word to schools and therapists who worked with disabled kids.
“Once people saw what we were doing and how we did it, funding just kind of came in,” Nation said. “We were pleased with that.”
A.S.K. is all-volunteer, and now receives funding from the local United Way as well as individual donations. They also receive strong support from the city of Nederland, which allows the group to use their park facilities at no charge.
“The city is one of our biggest cheerleaders and supporters,” Nation said. “I can’t say enough about the city of Nederland and their support and backing of our organization.”
No One Left Behind
One of A.S.K.’s major objectives is to make sure there are no barriers placed on disabled individuals wishing to participate, including age limits. While the majority of registrants are kids, adults with special needs are also welcome to play.
“The Challenger Division ages out,” Nation explained. “We decided we weren’t going to tell (kids) you’ve been playing with us for 10 years, you can’t play anymore. We weren’t going to allow that to happen.”
Kids are paired with a buddy for some sports where it’s feasible, using volunteers from other area baseball teams, beauty queen organizations, and church groups. If a parent wishes to buddy up with their own child, Nation has no problem with that, but he encourages them to relax in the stands and watch as they would an able-bodied child.
The buddy system is mostly used in baseball. Buddies are instructed to allow the kids freedom to do whatever they choose.
“They help our athletes do whatever they need, whether it be catch a baseball, hit a baseball, find first base, run to first base,” Nation explained. “If they want to build sand castles in the infield, then that’s (OK). It’s about that athlete, that kid on that day.”
Fishing for Fun
Earlier this month, the group held its first fishing tournament, giving kids the opportunity to experience the joy of catching a fish. They partnered with C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation, an organization that enriches the lives of special needs children through fishing. The state of Texas stocked a pond with 500 catfish. Students from fishing teams at area high schools served as shore volunteers and assisted the kids with casting and reeling. Valero sponsored the event, providing volunteers to cook the fish. Nearly 60 kids participated in the event, which was originally scheduled for last year but had to be postponed because of COVID.
“I was extremely pleased with how it went down,” Nation said. “Lots of kids caught lots of fish. I can’t tell you how pleased I am with how it went.”
Looking to the Future
Nation hopes to raise funds to build an indoor facility, which would be especially beneficial in bad weather.
“Mother nature is not our friend,” Nation said. “We want to build our own facility. There’s a building that we’ve modeled after. So if it rains, we just send out a text that we’re playing inside. That way, no games will ever be canceled.”
Parents are sometimes hesitant to allow their disabled children to participate in sports or other physical activities, afraid they will either get hurt or fail. Nation understands this, but encourages them to at least let their child try.
“A lot of times, we’ll tell the parent, ‘Hey, let’s see if they can do it’,” Nation said. “If it takes 40 or 50 pitches for them to hit the ball, that’s what we do. They usually end up hitting the baseball. Then, we say, ‘see Mom and Dad, they can do it’. That’s what we’re out here for.”
But the majority of parents are just grateful their child can experience the same thrill of hitting a baseball or kicking a soccer ball like other kids. One mom recently approached Nation after registering her child for bowling.
“I want to apologize,” she told him. “I’ve seen your program for quite a while. I just never got around to registering my son to play. I also want to thank you. When I walked through the door of the bowling alley, and I saw all of these kids bowling and having a good time, I felt I was at home, that I had found the place I wanted my child to be.”
That is a feeling no amount of money could ever buy.
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If you’d like to find out more about Adaptive Sports for Kids, donate or volunteer, visit their website or go to their Facebook page.
Hot Takes and Great Reads
Speaking of adaptive sports, Blind Sports Day is Saturday, October 30. Presented by Healthy Vision Association and the United States Association of Blind Athletes, this event celebrates health and fitness among blind and visually impaired Americans, and showcases sports for the blind and the athletes who play them.
Various activities are held across the country throughout the week, so check the USABA website for one near you.
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Tom Brady may play until he’s 60 the way he’s going. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback threw the 600th touchdown pass of his career this past Sunday and shows no signs of letting up.
But Brady did something else that to me is way more powerful than any touchdown or Super Bowl title. A little boy named Noah made a sign thanking Brady for helping him beat brain cancer.
With less than a minute to go in the game (which the Buccaneers won handily 38-3), Brady walked over to the stands where the boy was sitting and gave him his hat.
Understandably, the boy was overcome with emotion.
Read the full story here.
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The NCAA Standardized Test Score task force is recommending that initial-eligibility standards for high school students looking to compete in Division I or II athletics no longer include standardized test scores as part of admission requirements.
The recommendation comes after nearly six months of discussion by a group representing both divisions.
“This work reflects the NCAA’s commitment to continually reviewing our academic standards based on the best available data and other relevant information,” David Wilson, president of Morgan State and leader of the group said in a statement on NCAA.org. “We are observing a national trend in NCAA member schools moving away from requiring standardized test scores for admissions purposes and this recommendation for athletics eligibility aligns directly with that movement.”
It’s good to see the NCAA finally catching up to the 21st century.
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