The Transformative Power of Adaptive Sports

November 23, 2020

By: Dr. Jasmine Townsend, CTRS, CARSS-I, Associate Professor, Clemson University

My introduction to adaptive sports occurred at the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah (www.discovernac.org). They are a community recreation organization that provides adaptive sports and recreation activities like mountain biking, sled hockey, river rafting, handcycling, and waterskiing, among others, to individuals with a variety of physical and cognitive disabilities. People come from all over the United States, at all times of the year, to participate in their programs. I spent my time helping kids and adults learn new skills, push the boundaries of their abilities, and generally just have a great time in the mountains, lakes, and deserts of the Mountain West. It was the best job ever. We had tons of fun, and I developed lasting friendships with many of my coworkers.

Clemson University student Scarlett Lawthorne, a senior studying recreational therapy, practices with her compound bow for the 25th annual Southeastern Regional Wheelchair Games, May 17, 2019. (Photo by Ken Scar)

My work in adaptive sports over the last decade has continued through both direct service provision and research activities. In all my interactions with participants across these various experiences, I have heard statements like “Adaptive sports have changed my life” ;or “My son/daughter has changed so much since they started playing wheelchair basketball”; or “I’m more confident in my abilities, and I have a sense of purpose now.” It was quite fulfilling as a health and recreation professional to know that what we were doing had such impact. I absolutely believe it changed lives, because I saw it happen. However, the researcher in me wanted to know more.

The Clemson Adaptive Sports and Recreation lab aims to provide evidence that informs decisions about adaptive sport programming and enhance outcomes associated with involvement in those programs. This mission is perfectly geared to examine the transformative nature of adaptive sports for individuals with disabilities. Recent research (Duerden, et al., 2018) has provided definitions of a continuum of general experience types ranging from ordinary, to memorable, meaningful, and finally transformative. Other research has also identified adaptive sport participation as transformational to participants’ self-identity (Lundberg, Taniguchi, McCormick, & Tibbs, 2011).

be Clemson alumni Marsden Miller plays in an intramural wheelchair basketball game, an opportunity available through a collaboration between PRTM and Department of Campus Recreation.

No research, however, has used a reliable measure to gauge the impact of adaptive sport experiences. Furthermore, no research has connected program characteristics to the experience types, leaving program administrators with little systematic and reliable information with which to intentionally design programs to facilitate growth and development among individuals with disabilities participating in adaptive sport.

In January 2021, and in collaboration with colleagues at Brigham Young University, my students and I will embark on a study to determine the impact of adaptive sport experiences using the Experience Impact Measure (EIM). This will be the first study to use this measure in an adaptive sport context and will contribute to validation of the instrument. We will also explore a variety of program characteristics that may prove important for each type of experience (ordinary to transformative). Such information will be useful to various stakeholders in their efforts to understand the impact of adaptive sport programs but will also help in efforts to refine the design and implementation of these programs.

While anecdotal evidence from participants is meaningful in the moment and powerful as a testimonial, a systematic and data-driven understanding of the impact of adaptive sport participation is needed. This project will provide that understanding, and we feel it perfectly complements the aims of the Robert H. Brooks Sport Science Institute.

References:

Duerden, M. D., Lundberg, N. R., Ward, P., Taniguchi, S. T, Hill, B., Widmer, M. A., & Zabriskie, R. (2018). From ordinary to extraordinary: A framework of experience types. Journal of Leisure Research, 49(3-5) 196-216.

Lundberg, N. R., Taniguchi, S., McCormick, B., & Tibbs, C. (2011). Identity negotiating: Redefining stigmatized identities through adaptive sports and recreation participation among individuals with a disability. Journal of Leisure Research, 43(2), 205-225.