<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=535934220083931&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">

ABC
Medical
Blog

When the Opportunity Knocks

Jun 21, 2016 3:16:44 PM / by Dave Kiley

Dave Kiley

 

ABC Nation!

QuestionWhere would a disabled child/youth be without  exposure to adaptive sports or activities? Same question could be asked about adults.

It's really hard for me to imagine a life without exposure to opportunities in sport and recreation. We live in an enlightened world for the most part and opportunities are endless. Every time you turn around another organization is formed representing another adaptive sport or program. How cool is that? It's sometimes taken for granted just how much there is to do out there if we are able to be exposed or should I say open to try some activity out of our comfort zone.

 

Kids are totally dependent on parents or relatives for such exposure or to be perfectly clear..
Transportation !!!

If you are a parent of a child/youth with a disability and you enter into this world of activity opportunity you best be ready to be a full time taxi driver.  Once it's got you, it's got you ! There is so much one can do today. I hear parents all the time say, it's hard to keep it up with it all, as they take a deep breath. Normally there are other children in the family unit which also have opportunities. The big difference is that to be involved in adaptive sports and on teams you have to travel big time. It is ordinary to have to cross state lines or fly to different parts of country or the world.

As a coach, mentor,therapist, or friend, I have always been attracted to the individual that did not have the support in place to be involved. Always believed you have to give it away in order to keep it and the sacrifice to me is well worth it. So I have been that taxi driver for kids, because I know how critical it is to have support and know how one can be vaporized and disappear with out it.

Turning Point Carolina (TPC) recently held two out of the box programs. One being adaptive rock climbing at a Charlotte climbing center called Inner Peaks. My organization has partnered with  'Catalyst  Sports' in order for this to be an ongoing program once a month on Sunday afternoons. We had a small group of kids and couple adults including a veteran. For all the kids and yes a 5 year old blind child this was a first time. It was so cool to see the kids climb with the help of expert volunteers and perfectly designed climbing harnesses.

Check out some pictures from these events: 

image1.jpg

 

image3.jpg

 

image5.jpg

 

image7.jpg

 image9.jpg

Download Your Free Adaptive Resource Guide

Topics: accessibility, parent support, adaptive sports

Dave Kiley

Written by Dave Kiley

aka DK

How Much Do You Know about Hydrophilic Catheters? Click here for more information

Lists by Topic

see all

Subscribe to Email Updates