The headlines surrounding the recent report by the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics & Paralympics centered around the future of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and for good reason. The commission’s work was an outgrowth in part from the sexual abuse scandals at USA Gymnastics and other organizations, and the failure of many in the Olympic movement to prevent unthinkable tragedies that have affected so many athletes. Tasked by Congress to make recommendations about the future of the Olympic and Paralympic movement — as well as youth and grassroots sports — the 16-member commiss ..read more

Photo by Joe Kusumoto Move United will sanction 35 events in 24 states throughout 2024, the most ever. Related Stories 2024 Move United Sanctioned Competitions Schedule Announced PlayLA Adaptive Youth Sports Program Launches 2024 Programming New Lakeshore Foundation Center Ups the Game for Adaptive Sports USGA Announces Five Future Tournaments in Maryland Huntington Beach Ready to Host 2023 ISA World Para Surfing Championship The competitions overall will serve more than 2,000 athletes of all ages and performance levels, including new athletes, Paralympians and veterans. The number of 202 ..read more

The PlayLA Adaptive Youth Sports Program, an initiative launched by the city of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, kicked off its winter adaptive sports season on January 20 with the return of sitting volleyball clinics, supported by the Triumph Foundation. PlayLA first introduced sitting volleyball in early 2022, and the sport, now in its third year, has continued to grow in popularity. The first clinic took place on January 20 at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, and four more clinics will be held at recreation centers across Los Angeles this winter. Related Stories P ..read more

The United States Golf Association has committed to bringing five national championships to the state of Maryland over an 11-year period starting in 2025, marking the organization’s return to Maryland for the first time since 2021. Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland, has been chosen by the United States Golf Association as the host site for the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Adaptive Opens, and the 2028 U.S. Junior Amateur. Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland, will host the 2027 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and the 2035 U.S. Senior Amateur. Related Stories USGA Announces Five Future ..read more

From left, Michelle Kimpel, Glenn Merry, Molly Quinn, Roderick Townsend and Julie (O'Neill) Dussliere. Photo by Jared Wickerham More and more opportunities are being presented for athletes in adaptive sports, from new competitions to potential new sports on the Paralympic program. In this session at the TEAMS Conference & Expo at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, leaders in the space discussed what’s coming next, what your destination needs to consider when planning for adaptive sports events and the community growth mindset that is driving the next wave of competition. This sessio ..read more

As the International Surfing Association tries to get para surfing into the 2028 Paralympic Summer Games in Los Angeles, the organization will host the eighth edition of the ISA World Para Surfing Championship in Huntington Beach, California, from November 5–11. The 2022 event in Pismo Beach, California, saw a record-breaking 180 athletes representing 28 national teams competing across nine para surfing sport classes. The ISA is hoping to keep its momentum at the 2023 event as the International Paralympic Committee is expected to make a decision on para surfing by the end of the year. Relate ..read more

As the Rugby World Cup reaches the semifinal stage in Paris and with less than one year before the Paralympic Summer Games in the French capital, World Wheelchair Rugby and World Rugby have collaborated with the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup getting underway on Wednesday at Halle Carpentier stadium in Paris. More than 100 male and female players will take to the court during the course of 20 games over five days up to October 22. The pool stage games and first round of knockouts take place at the Halle Carpentier stadium before the final day of play moves to the 8,000-seat Accor Arena, w ..read more

According to the economic impact study conducted by All In Sport Consulting, the estimated economic impact of adapted and para sport-related events nationwide totaled $139.1 million in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels and showing a 78% increase from 2021. Related Stories Study: Estimated Economic Impact of Adapted and Para Sports Events Surges LABS Announces 2023 Conference Program 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Returns to Rocky Mount Move United Expands its National Adaptive Shooting League Volt Hockey Offers Athletes with Disabilities an Exciting New Sport “This year’s economic i ..read more

The fourth annual Adapted Sport Leadership & Business Symposium, also known as LABS, will be held virtually on October 11–12 and bring together athletes and advocates in the adapted sports space. This year’s agenda for the event, organized by All in Sport Consulting, features eight sessions on a variety of topics. All In Sport Consulting is a Denver-based consulting firm that leads organizations in creating opportunities for people with disabilities through adapted sport. The program on October 11 includes sessions on preparing for the 2028 Paralympic Summer Games in Los Angeles, disabili ..read more

A 3×3 wheelchair basketball tournament in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, will return on September 9 and for the first time will have Bridge II Sports hosting a national 3×3 event for women wheelchair basketball players. The tournament will take place at Rocky Mount Event Center, managed by The Sports Facilities Companies, and will feature veterans, adults and high school athletes with physical disabilities. Rocky Mount Event Center will welcome 35 participating veterans and non-veterans from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Illinois, Texas and Arizona to play in the tournament ..read more