Adaptive Sports IOWA

Move United / Locations /

Adaptive Sports IOWA | ASI

Chapter

MISSION
To provide statewide leadership in the planning, promotion, education, and organization of sports and recreation opportunities for Iowans with physical disabilities

HISTORY
Adaptive Sports Iowa was officially launched on March 8, 2011, at the Adaptive Sports Iowa Summit. The summit brought together leaders and advocates of individuals with disabilities. Since 2011, Adaptive Sports Iowa began acquiring equipment and providing opportunities for all physical disabilities. Programs offered since its inception have included:

Airgun
Beep Baseball
Bowling
Cycling
Goalball
Power Soccer
Snow Skiing
Sled Hockey
Track & Field
Wheelchair Basketball

Adaptive Sports Iowa and the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau have hosted four national events: the 2012 & 2016 National Beep Baseball World Series, 2014 National Junior Disability Championships, and the 2014 National Goalball Championships.

ASI manages and supports the only recognized adaptive RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) Team. ASI provided ADA lodging and rider support for the seven-day ride across Iowa.

Iowa was the first state in the nation to offer wheelchair events at the State High School Track & Field Championships. Since ASI began in 2011, the number of participants at the state meet has more than doubled due to the equipment loaner program offered by Adaptive Sports Iowa.

Annually, ASI hosts “Adaptive Sports on the Grand Concourse” at the Iowa State Fair. This event provided a platform to promote ASI and allows the opportunity for Iowans to see and try various adaptive sports equipment.

ASI is a program of the Iowa Sports Foundation (ISF) which was founded in 1986 as a 501(c)3 non-profit entity. The Iowa Sports Foundation’s mission is to provide sports, recreation, health, and wellness opportunities for Iowans of all abilities.

In addition to ASI, the ISF is comprised of the Iowa Games, Live Healthy Iowa, Iowa Seniors Games, Des Moines Corporate Games, and the Corridor Corporate Games.

Activities

See All

Alpine/Downhill Skiing

Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis. There are tons of disabled skiers flying down the slopes across the country. Experienced skiers make it look easy as they swoosh and cut their way through powdery (and sometimes not so powdery) snow. While it takes some practice to refine…

Para Shooting has been part of the Paralympic Games since Toronto, Canada in 1976 and currently is being practiced in over 75 countries. Air Rifle and Pistol shooting is a test of skill and mental discipline, in which competitors use pneumatic rifles and pistols to fire a series of shots at a paper target. Competitions…

In the beginning you had to have a spinal cord injury in order to play wheelchair basketball. But that, much like the game itself, has come a long way since 1946. Today, in order to be eligible to play wheelchair basketball within the NWBA (National Wheelchair Basketball Association) a person must have a permanent lower…

Rain, sleet, snow, or hail … it seems that no matter the weather, you can always see a cyclist biking for pleasure, on an errand, or keeping fit. The love of bike riding is rapidly growing across nearly every demographic. Cycling has always been a great way to enjoy the outdoors, socialize with fellow bikers,…

You are on an indoor athletic court and you can’t see. It is quiet. Suddenly, you hear a ball, with three bells on the inside, coming at you at nearly 40 mph. Your teammates are relying on you to stop it from going into the net. That is the sport of goalball. “For any fan…

All About Sled Hockey Sled Hockey A Sport for All Abilities Sled hockey had its beginning in the early 1960s when some enterprising athletes at a physical rehabilitation center in Sweden wanted to play the game. The men modified a metal frame sled with two regular-sized ice hockey skate blades that allowed the puck to pass…

There is a rapidly growing adaptive sport that is changing the way people think of those using a power chair. That sport is power soccer. “It is not only changing the perception others have, but also how participants think of themselves,” said Jonathan Newman, the Adult Sports Coordinator at Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program…

Track and Field is the largest Olympic and Paralympic sport in terms of the number of athletes and number of classifications and categories. In addition to the races that take place on the track, there are a number of competitions that take place on the field inside the track. In particular, there are throwing and…

Water Skiing 101 Ride the Wake! There is nothing like spending a warm summer day by the water. But water-skiers will tell you that even better is a day spent water skiing along on the surface of the water with the wind in their hair. Don’t think because you have a disability that you can’t…