Category: Adaptive sport

By Marissa Kuula, a current Community Recreation and Sport Management focused student within the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Department (PRTM)

Going into its fifth year under a grant from the United States Department of Veteran Affairs this past spring, the Clemson University Paralympic Soccer Program team headed by Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management faculty member Dr. Skye Arthur-Banning with assistance from Dr. Barry Garst was gearing up for another year of planning and implementing adaptive soccer camps for injured military veterans and professionals across the country. With plane tickets booked and a total of eight camps already under their belt, the team was prepared for a summer focused on delivering ten additional programs around the country in order to improve the quality of life, well-being and independence of military veterans.

Plans, however, were derailed when COVID-19 hit. With the virus rapidly spreading across the world, quarantine and social distancing guidelines went into effect to protect the population, halting all non-essential travel and upcoming gatherings, including the camps.

In the past, a series of camps were held in different American cities, hosting around fifteen veterans and professionals over the course of three days. Participants took part in both classroom and on-field learning and training sessions for two types of soccer – 7-a-side for athletes with Cerebral Palsy, a traumatic brain injury or stroke, and 5-a-side for athletes with visual impairment. They also earned a Mental Health First Aid and a US Soccer Grassroots Coaching certification over the course of the camp.

In addition to these learning and developmental opportunities, participants also had the opportunity to socialize with staff and other participants through group dinners and a planned group activity, such as adaptive foot golf, attending a professional or semi-professional sporting event, adaptive rowing, adaptive golf and adaptive CrossFit.

After the camps, veterans can use their training to become players in adaptive soccer programs, use achieved certifications to help transition back into their communities and pursue coaching opportunities in existing programs. Using skills and certifications gained at camp, participants can also begin to work with community partners to expand adaptive sport participation in their areas and become more active members of their communities overall. The Mental Health First Aid certification gives participants the skills and ability to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness.

While new restrictions meant that the traditional camps could not be held in person, Margaret Domka, a Clemson Ph.D. student who works with Dr. Arthur-Banning to manage the program, says that the veterans’ camps may have been even more important to deliver this year than ever.

“It has been challenging for many people to find ways to remain physically active and involved in the community this year, and it can be an even greater challenge for veterans with disabilities who may, in normal circumstances, need assistance in finding ways to reintegrate into the community,” said Domka. “Our virtual camps provide an opportunity for veterans to connect with others and become active.”

While COVID-19 has created unexpected challenges, the planning team’s creative thinking and strong work ethic allowed for the virtual style camps to develop and take place. For example, the Mental Health First Aid and US Soccer Grassroots certification portion of the camps took a page out of the book of Zoom classroom sessions Clemson University used to finish its virtual school year after spring break, with certification professionals working their way through instructional PowerPoints and videos. That said, the training sessions and feeling of camaraderie and connectedness that in-person camp offered in the past was harder to facilitate in a virtual setting. In order to combat this obstacle, the undergraduate team that works on these camps came up with ways to engage the participants both physically and socially.

Kirsten Windbiel, a graduate research assistant for the program, said that the team had to be well organized and prepared ahead of time to make the virtual camps work.

“Moving into an online format, our team really needed to be extra organized and creative when it came to executing the camp. Our team met frequently before camp to make sure all the pieces came together in an organized fashion, considering all of the online components, such as who was presenting when, which students were monitoring the Zoom chat boxes, making sure we were communicating effectively to the camp participants and overall, finding a successful way to make the correct adaptations for a variety of disabilities,” Kirsten said.

On the more physical side of things, camp attendees participated in chair yoga, seated weight training and adaptive soccer training sessions in which they could either practice drills in their living room or outside. Camp participants were shipped the equipment they needed to participate in these sessions in advance of the camp, including a regular soccer ball and a blind soccer ball (with rattles inside so players can hear the movement of the ball). A group Zoom dinner also helped create an environment conducive for social interactions. Team members took participants’ food orders and coordinated food delivery across three different time zones so that every person was able to eat at the same time while on the Zoom call.

According to Kirsten, the experience taught her that it’s important to stay connected and engaged with one’s community and peers, especially during uncertain times.

“Our community resources session at the end of camp allowed the veterans that participated to talk about resources within their communities and ideas for adaptive sports,” Kirsten said. “In general, the camp also really just allowed the group to come together during a difficult time, learn and have some fun doing something new.”

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Future virtual camps are currently being planned to continue to benefit the veteran population across the United States. Updates regarding the dates and registration of these camps will be posted on the Clemson Paralympic Soccer website. You can also check out Clemson University Paralympic Soccer (@cuparasoccer) on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates on the program and other adaptive sport happenings.

For nearly half a century, a partnership between two Clemson University departments has provided courses for credit in leisure education and research opportunities to students on campus.

The partnership began when the university started its leisure skills program in 1972, which allows Clemson students to take a leisure or recreational course for one credit, while also helping them explore non-academic hobbies or career options. The program typically offers more than 150 one-credit learning options every semester in subjects such as dance, shotgun and other sports, yoga, fitness, outdoor recreation and first aid. The courses are developed and managed by the university’s parks, recreation and tourism management department, with 24 of the 159 courses offered last fall using campus recreation facilities.

Jeff Hallo, interim chair of the department, says that the leisure skills partnership between university departments is an example of working together in the best interests of students, while also furthering new research befitting Clemson’s status as one of the nation’s most active research institutions (Carnegie Basic Classification R1 – Highest Research Activity).

“We’re grateful to campus recreation, and are particularly thankful for Executive Director David Frock, for ensuring Clemson students can participate in learning opportunities in their campus facilities,” Hallo said. “It’s safe to say that these programs, which have provided numerous opportunities for our faculty and graduate students to conduct leisure-focused research while also serving thousands of undergraduate students, make a significant contribution to our university as a whole.”

Leisure Skills Program Director Dan Anderson adds that the program functions as a research lab of its own on campus.

“We have the most prized population to study in the leisure field – college-aged students – right at our fingertips, and we have them actively engaged in active forms of leisure, like sports, and non-active forms of leisure, giving us a unique research opportunity,” Anderson said. “We’ve had several graduate students and faculty members study the impacts associated with student participation in those types of programs, such as on their mental health, their ability to better focus on their studies and on their body image.”

A study led by former Clemson graduate student Katherine Ann Jordan that was published in the Journal of Experiential Education in 2018, for example, found that if college students have leisure education included in their academic schedule and tied to their grade point average, they were more likely to actively participate in healthy leisure activities and begin and maintain positive lifestyle habits.

Another study led by former doctoral student Cindy Hartman and published in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice in 2017 found that leisure education courses are a form of complementary health programming that helps students build adaptive coping skills and positive well-being. In 2013, graduate student Kate Evans used the leisure skills program to explore the impact leisure skills classes have on building student engagement with the university. The study results indicated that leisure education had a marked impact – providing a uniquely positioned environment for building students’ sense of engagement with their institution through an enhanced sense of community, enhanced sense of self and active learning.

Campus Recreation Executive Director Dr. David Frock said that the partnership between the departments aligns with the campus recreation mission to enhance the educational experience and promote lifelong wellness through high quality and diverse recreation programs, services and facilities.

“Hosting courses within the leisure skills program activates and engages students, exposing them to the numerous well-being services offered through campus recreation,” Frock said. “Our staff has collaborated with faculty on research and grants along with collaborations on programs and events throughout PRTM. Campus recreation staff also instruct courses and provide Clemson students the opportunity to develop new skill sets and build their resumes.”

Over the past few years, the partnership has expanded to include research, grants and other campus activities with a focus on diversity. For example, the departments recently worked together to introduce wheelchair basketball as the newest intramural sport.

These activities are part of the university’s Adaptive Sports and Recreation Lab, which was launched last spring in order to further existing efforts to implement high-quality adaptive sport programming and conduct applied research.

Other opportunities for adaptive sport involvement by students and community members include the Southeast Regional Wheelchair Games and the Clemson Classic juniors wheelchair basketball tournament. All of these programs require campus resources to be successful, of which campus recreation facilities and staff are vital.

These joint efforts demonstrate a commitment to achieve the university’s strategic aims of inclusive excellence and to break down the barriers to sport and recreation access that many students with physical disabilities experience on college campuses.

Hallo said he is hopeful that the partnership can continue to provide opportunities for students and faculty well after it surpasses its 50^th anniversary in 2022.

“This partnership has accomplished a great deal over the decades and helped thousands of students,” Hallo said. “We’re aware that many of these programs wouldn’t exist without access to campus recreation facilities and equipment, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to continue to work with them to create new opportunities for our students and community.”

Emily Whitaker Poetz, a mother of three in Clemson, South Carolina, is among millions of parents dusting off their lawn chairs and preparing to enroll their children in sports programs in their community this spring.

About 71.8% of youth between the ages of 6 and 12 participated in youth sports programs in 2018. Poetz says she’s had only positive experiences with the programs in her area, which allow her kids to explore different athletic options.

“We don’t let even my sport-crazy kid specialize in just one sport,” she says. “Instead, we make sure he takes breaks so he isn’t playing something continuously all year.”

Poetz also looks for other ways for her children to channel their energy throughout the year, such as enrolling one of her sons in a private training program to teach him how to work out safely with the experts.

Although Poetz’s experiences have been largely positive, other parents may find themselves navigating other issues on the sidelines, such as dealing with overbearing parents or preventing sports overuse injuries.

Dr. Skye Arthur-Banning of Clemson University’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department wrote a book to help parents navigate some of these challenges. Called Youth Sports in America: The Most Important Issues in Youth Sports Today, it provides an expert’s perspective on 37 different issues parents may face in a sporting environment.

Because some of the issues in the book fall outside his area of expertise, Arthur-Banning assembled a team of academics and practitioners throughout the country to write about specific topics. An M.D., for example, wrote a chapter on concussions. References are provided at the end of each chapter for further reading.

“The book was written for parents, coaches and administrators and tries to address questions each may have, such as the benefits of playing on an organized team, pay to play, and how to prevent or protect a child from being pressured into playing with an injury,” he says. “This is a guidebook that can help them whether they’re on the sidelines or volunteering as a parent-coach.”

Banning brings a unique perspective to these issues. He researches and teaches amateur sport by day, officiates soccer games on his evening and weekends, and watches his two young daughters play community athletics on weekday evenings.

His advice to parents with concerns about how team sports are being managed is to pay attention to what your child tells you about their experience, and to talk to your local parks and recreation department when issues start to feel out of control.

“Community recreation is there to help children explore healthy activity and encourage teamwork and cooperation,” he says. “Parks and recreation managers want to make sure that children are playing in a safe and supportive environment, so don’t be afraid to talk through concerns with them.”

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Clemson’s Recreational Therapy (RT) Club, led by students in the university’s recreational therapy program, are working with the Clemson Adaptive Sport and Recreation Lab and Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital to help junior wheelchair basketball teams compete in the upstate.

The group raised the money needed to host a competition this weekend in Spartanburg, where you’ll be able to see the top junior wheelchair basketball teams from South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama compete in the 2^nd Annual Clemson Classic Wheelchair Basketball Tournament at the Upward Star Center (9768 Warren H Abernathy Hwy).

Youth between the ages of 5 to 18 are playing in this two-day southeast regional tournament, which is organized by the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) and the Rollin’ Tigers, South Carolina’s only junior wheelchair basketball team. The tournament gives participating wheelchair athletes an opportunity to be part of a team and play in a competitive environment.

RT Club President Hannah Wells says that they began thinking about running the tournament three years ago, and have been working towards it ever since.

“The Rollin’ Tigers is the only wheelchair basketball team in the entire state of South Carolina. It’s awesome that we have a local team, but there are only a few tournaments that they can go to each season – and none of them are local,” she says. “This tournament is an awesome opportunity for these athletes to compete on their own turf. Their families and friends can support them without having to overcome the barriers of traveling far and paying high costs associated with traveling.”

The club has played a lead role in planning the tournament with its sponsors, community members and event partners, and is providing around 15 club members to work each day of the event. They raised the money needed to host the event by applying for grants from several Clemson University campus organizations and by using funds raised through a recreational therapy conference they organize every year, including a silent auction designed to specifically generate money for the competition.

Jeff Townsend, the Rollin’ Tigers coach and Lecturer in Clemson’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management department, says that the tournament wouldn’t be possible without the club’s support.

“Hosting a regional competition requires manpower, community support and money,” he says. “These students were able to provide all three, and as a result, are creating an exciting opportunity for these young athletes to demonstrate and improve their skills in a competitive environment.”

Jasmine Townsend, an assistant professor at Clemson University and tournament director, says that she’s excited about being able to support expanding opportunities for these athletes to compete.

“This tournament gives these athletes an opportunity to a be part of a team and play a competitive sport,” she says. “They’re getting rare access to typical youth sport opportunities that are often available to other athletes in the area.”

Wells and her club members are proud to have played a role in creating opportunity for these athletes. Now, she says, they need people to come to the event and show their support.

“These kids are cute – all kids are – but they’re also competitive athletes,” she says. “Our ultimate goal is to have adaptive sports like this normalized and readily available for people with different disabilities, and for them to be perceived just like any other youth sport.”

And, she adds, the event is free, making it a good way to spend the day as a family.

“Bring your kiddos, your pals, your significant others, and your neighbors and enjoy a free day of watching a super cool sport.”

For more information about the tournament, contact Jeff Townsend at townse7@clemson.edu.

This week marks an important first for adaptive sports in Clemson. The university is launching a new competitive wheelchair tennis team, who are competing at their first-ever national event on Thursday.

The team consists of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management faculty member Jeff Townsend and Clemson LIFE student Marsden Miller, who are representing Clemson for the first time in the 2019 Collegiate Wheelchair Tennis National Championships in Orlando, Florida.

Over the past few weeks, Townsend and Miller have been training daily with Chuck McCuen, Clemson’s Director of Tennis Operations – often meeting early in the morning to practice.

Miller says the hard work is worth it, because their involvement is creating opportunities for other wheelchair athletes at Clemson, and throughout its surrounding communities, that weren’t always available to him as a kid.

Miller grew up with a love of sport. But because he uses a wheelchair, as a child he had to travel to find sport and recreation opportunities he could take part in.

“I had the opportunity of playing wheelchair basketball, but it was four hours away from my home,” Miller says. So he registered in local sports teams, in hopes they would give him a shot on the field.

“I was a part of a baseball team, even though I couldn’t play,” continued Miller. “I dressed out like my team and mainly hung out in the dugout, praying they would put me in one day.”

According to Dr. Jasmine Townsend, an Assistant Professor in Recreational Therapy, Miller’s experience is typical of most children with disabilities growing up in smaller communities.

“Although larger cities tend to offer more inclusive sport and outdoor recreation program options, the smaller the town you’re in, the less recreational opportunities tend to be available,” she says. “There are even fewer opportunities for athletes with disabilities to compete at a higher level. Clemson University’s new wheelchair tennis team is an important step towards growing competitive opportunities for children and young adults with disabilities who want to play.”

Miller may not be playing baseball, but he is active in campus sports – working as part of the university’s Athletics department, and playing on an intramural wheelchair basketball team. Increasing athletic and recreational opportunities for students with disabilities on campus is important to Miller, which is why he signed up for wheelchair tennis as well. As he sees it, increasing adaptive sport opportunities on campus goes a long way towards making Clemson an outstanding place to live, learn, and work for everyone.

“There may be other students in wheelchairs that want to attend Clemson, but also want to play sports,” says Miller. “Clemson is already a great school to attend, but this program helps us make sure no one feels left out.”

McCuen agrees. He also sees the team as an opportunity to send a clear message about Clemson’s continued efforts to grow as an inclusive, accommodating, and integrated institution. “Any opportunity for Clemson to participate on a national stage is an opportunity to share Clemson University’s values and commitment to excellence,” he says. “This team is no different, and we are looking forward to competing and representing Clemson in this new arena! We hope that by increasing the adaptive sports opportunities at Clemson, we are increasing the ways that diverse students can engage, interact, and enrich Clemson and our community.”

You can follow the team’s progress on the Clemson Adaptive Sports Facebook page!