Demystifying Adaptive Sports
A perspective-building Q&A with adaptive sports expert, Howard Brodwin.
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Today we’e going to delve into an important aspect of youth sports that is grossly undercovered and wildly misunderstood. At least it was by me. Trying to ensure my kids were guaranteed to be out of the house for at least a few weeks this summer, I recently scrolled through our town’s summer recreation catalog when I noticed a section devoted to Adaptive programming. A bit unfamiliar, I read on and saw Adaptive soccer and Adaptive basketball taught by a former Special Olympics coach. With each offering came the disclaimer, This program is designed for neurodiverse children.
It’s a bit embarrassing to admit but I didn’t really know the meaning of neurodiverse and could only make a quasi-educated guess based on what appears to be a portmanteau. But it got me wondering about adaptive sports, the Paralympic Games, the Special Olympics, and more. How are they distinguished and what can the general population learn from having a deeper understanding of how these athletes compete?
The athletes, coaches, and administrators who populate the adaptive sports space deserve more attention and clarity. Over the next couple of months we’ll discover the compelling backstory of a US Paralympic athlete headed to Paris and learn how Los Angeles is setting the standard for adaptive youth sports programs across the country.
To kick us off, allow me to introduce Howard Brodwin, the Managing Director of Sports and Social Change. Brodwin is highly knowledgeable on everything related to adaptive sports, with over a decade of experience working with programs across the country. He has kindly offered to answer my burning questions.
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Good Game: Can you explain the key categories of adaptive sports?
Howard Brodwin: There’s quite a bit of terminology around sport for people with disabilities, some of it is interchangeable and others are more specific. Adaptive/Adapted Sports are activities where the rules and/or equipment have been modified, usually to accommodate a disability. The Paralympic Games (Summer and Winter) is the elite competition for athletes with physical disabilities. The “Para” actually refers to the Paralympics being in parallel to the Olympic Games. They’re hosted in the same city, roughly two weeks after the Olympic Games conclude.
The Paralympics are managed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), an independent Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Bonn, Germany.
Athletes who participate in adaptive sports most commonly have a physical disability, mobility challenge or visual impairment. The list is lengthy, but includes people with spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, limb differences, amputation, blindness, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, muscular dystrophy and other neuro-muscular disorders.
And not every adaptive sport is part of the Paralympics. Similar to the Olympics, sports are selected by the IPC for inclusion in both the summer and winter competitions.
Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that provides sports for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. They were founded in 1968, now with programs in over 180 countries, and host the Special Olympics World Games which rotates cities and is held every four years similar to the Olympics and Paralympics.
For athletes with a hearing impairment, there is the Deaflympics. Sports in the Deaflympics are also considered adaptive/adapted sports as again, the rules and/or equipment has been modified for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH).
And just to throw in one more, what’s becoming more common are Inclusive Sports where people with and without disabilities play together. Special Olympics has an international program called “Unified Sports” which expands on this concept, bringing together high school students with and without intellectual disabilities to play sports together.
GG: How are athletes classified within adaptive sports, given the range (and presumably, severity) of impairment?
HB: There is a detailed “classification” system within the Adaptive and Paralympic sport community that’s designed to help establish fairness on the playing field.
One way to think of it is this: An injury higher on the spinal cord may cause paralysis in most of the body and affect all limbs (aka - tetraplegia or quadriplegia); an injury that occurs lower down the spinal cord may only affect a person's lower body and legs (aka - paraplegia). So an athlete with a higher spinal cord injury will likely have less trunk strength and mobility than someone with a lower injury, and therefore have an advantage in competition. By classifying athletes based on their disability, the Paralympic sport community can create more fairness in competition.
Similarly, lower limb amputees are often classified by where on the limb the impairment or amputation occurs. It’s most common that “below the knee” amputees (or “BK’s”) will compete against each other, rather than against “above the knee” amputees (“AK’s”) since having an intact knee joint could be an advantage in sports like Track and Field.
Classification is used across all of the mobility impairments as well as blind/visual impairments. Again, in some sports an athlete with low vision could have an advantage over another who is completely blind.
GG: What are your recommendations for parks and rec departments on how to structure youth programming for athletes that may have a wide range of impairment?
HB: In very simple terms, the basic elements to run programming for kids with disabilities are having accessible facilities, proper equipment, and trained coaches.
Most Park & Recreation departments have the facilities piece ready to go, although there is definitely a need to review the physical structures (entries/exits, bathrooms, locker rooms, parking, etc.) to make sure they are indeed accessible. While most public facilities are legally required to be compliant with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) there are still aspects of many buildings, fields, courts and pools that make it very difficult for someone with mobility challenges to access.
Depending on the sports, equipment can be relatively easy to procure, manage and store. It can become more complicated as some adaptive sports will require unique and at times customized equipment. But at a basic level, much of what is needed is not that different from what’s used for other sports activities. At the same time, maintaining a fleet of multi-sport wheelchairs - used for basketball, tennis, rugby, lacrosse - is a bigger commitment. In addition to the storage and maintenance, there’s often a need to transport chairs from one facility to another. And it’s important to have proper guidance on how to fit someone in a sports wheelchair based on elements such as height, weight, hip width, trunk strength, and the activity itself.
Finally there is the need for properly trained coaches. It’s common that professionals with a background or degree in Recreation Therapy have experience working with people with disabilities. There’s also great training and resources available throughout the adaptive sports community to help those who may be interested in coaching begin their journey to learn the nuances of working in this community.
All of that said, Park & Recreation departments have to consider taking all of this on internally (buying equipment and training staff) or creating public-private partnerships with local adaptive sports programs who have the equipment and coaching expertise.
GG: How is LA leading the way in this regard?
HB: LA is leading the way with the PlayLA Youth & Adaptive Youth Sports Program - the single largest commitment to youth sports development in California. It serves as a legacy before, during and after the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and was made possible by an investment from the LA28 Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The city-wide initiative provides access to quality sports programming for youth of all abilities between the ages of 5 and 17. PlayLA also offers youth with disabilities free access to a variety of adaptive sports programming in the lead-up to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games to inspire and foster a new generation of para-athletes and Paralympics fans.
PlayLA partners with leading adaptive sports organizations and experts to ensure the clinics provide best-in-class instruction, quality equipment, and a safe environment for participants to learn the fundamentals of each sport. PlayLA has worked with the Triumph Foundation, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Ride on and the United States Association of Blind Athletes.
GG: What are your goals for programs across the country?
HB: Ultimately, the goal is for all youth with disabilities to have access to quality, inclusive, adaptive sports programming at their local recreation centers year-round to discover a sport they are passionate about and can pursue.
Additionally, it’s important for cities and rec and park programs nationwide to see that investing in adaptive sports is worthwhile and has real benefits for youth with disabilities. Adaptive sports can teach lifelong lessons and help youth with disabilities develop meaningful friendships and bond over a passion for sport.
Since it first launched in November 2021, PlayLA has been demonstrating that adaptive sports can have a positive, long-lasting impact on youth of all abilities. Several participants and their parents have praised the program for providing opportunities they would not have thought possible.
GG: Who are a few US Paralympians to look out for in Paris?
HB: The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will be a very exciting time for para-sports and para-athletes. The Paralympics are growing in popularity, and Paris 2024 will see a record number of Media Rights Holders in more than 160 countries covering the Games, increasing their global visibility.
Paris 2024 will also mark the first time live coverage will be offered for all 22 sports (19 sports at Tokyo 2020 and 15 at Rio 2016). John Lisko, Managing Director of IPC Global Media Rights, said: “According to Nielsen, interest in the Paralympic Games in the last eight years has more than doubled, and this has been reflected by Media Rights Holders and their increased commitments.” (Source).
There are so many incredible athletes who will compete in the Paralympic Games this summer. Several homegrown LA athletes, including track and field athlete Ezra Frech and swimmer Jamal Hill, will represent Team USA. Additionally, archer Kevin Mather is the reigning Paralympic champion in the men’s individual recurve open and has also helped coach PlayLA’s adaptive archery clinics. The United States Association of Blind Athletes has also supported PlayLA’s clinics, and the Team USA men’s goalball squad will look to return to the podium in Paris this summer.