Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte

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Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte | ASC

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Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte

The Adaptive Sports Center (ASC) is a 501 (C) 3 organization, founded in 1987 as the Crested Butte Physically Challenged Ski Program. A small but passionate group of residents spearheaded the program with the intent of providing ski instruction and equipment to individuals with disabilities on their home mountain. In that first year, 33 participants received lessons from an all-volunteer staff.

The organization gained traction in 1988 thanks to a significant contribution from President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

The ASC is now a full-fledged therapeutic recreation program that operates year-round, with adaptive activities ranging from mountain biking and skiing to ice climbing and kayaking. Over 6,000 activities are provided annually to nearly 800 individuals who come to Crested Butte from all over the U.S. and overseas each year.

Through clinical studies and post-activity participant surveys, we know that our programs are creating positive change in our participants’ daily lives. In a 2015-2016 participant survey, 100% of our participants reported the highest possible level of satisfaction with their programming experience. Our participants have stated immediate benefits following their participation in our programs, including a good night’s sleep and a sense of empowerment that comes from successfully learning a new skill. This has been further supported by a 2009 Brigham Young University clinical study which found that participation in adaptive sports improved overall health, quality of life, self-confidence, general level of activity, feelings of empowerment, and satisfaction with life. Two highlights from the study found:

89.5% of the individuals felt that their adaptive sports experience had either a very positive or positive influence on feeling empowered in their life.

94.7% of the individuals felt that their adaptive sports experience had either a very positive or positive influence on their overall satisfaction with life.

Over time, ASC’s participant base has expanded to include individuals with an extremely broad range of physical, emotional and cognitive differences. On any given day, a child with a rare mitochondrial condition might sit side-by-side on a fit-up bench with a war veteran battling posttraumatic stress and share a laugh. The ASC works with anyone with any type of disability who exhibits a desire to participate in activities, regardless of their capacity to pay. Programs for the Gunnison Valley clientele remain as popular as they were 30 years ago, and some of the ASC’s first participants from Six Points Evaluation and Training (a Gunnison-based nonprofit that serves adults with developmental disabilities) receive instruction to this day. Additionally, the ASC partners with numerous renowned hospitals, veteran groups, schools and foundations from across the country.

The Adaptive Sports Center is an equal opportunity service provider and employer and operates under permit from the USDA Forest Service, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forest.

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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…

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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,…

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Take a Hike! Outdoor Adventure Awaits Everyone is concerned with fitness these days. Many people are also concerned with watching their personal budget, too. So what activity offers fun and fitness as well as being easy on the wallet? The answer is hiking, and almost everybody can do it, whether it’s simply utilizing community park…

When you go skiing, you need to find a mountain and cold weather. You don’t need anything special to start kayaking. Kayaking is just down the road. -Joe Mornini, Executive Director of Team River Runner Getting Started Looking to spend a quiet afternoon enjoying the outdoors and scenery? Perhaps you’re more of a thrill…

Downhill is for those who want the rush. It’s high-speed and exhilarating. – Sandy Olney Mountain Biking 101 Rollin’ Down the Mountain If you like nurturing your independence, appreciate the outdoors and enjoy an adrenalin rush, then downhill mountain biking may be the sport for you. Downhill mountain biking is exactly what the…

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One of the things I like about rock climbing is that it always gives you little triumphs. You can reach new levels, you are never out of challenges, and you can do it pretty much anywhere. – Jarem Frye, Climbing Enthusiast and K12 Prosthetics founder Becoming Familiar with Adaptive Climbing For a full body…

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…

All About Snowboarding History Thank you to Lindsay Schultz for contributing information to this article. Pipelines, shredding, jibbers, and boardercross are all part of the colorful trappings of what’s attracting winter sports lovers to the country’s newest and most popular pursuit of things-that-go-bump-in-the-snow. Otherwise known as snowboarding….. Originally embraced by preteen and adolescent males who…

Snowshoeing 101 Getting Started It’s time for the fresh, chilly air and peaceful scenery offered by winter sports. If you’re looking for a way to improve balance and spatial awareness, and to get exercise at a level that you can set for yourself, consider adaptive snowshoeing this season. Snowshoeing is the “quiet” snow sport, according…

It is difficult to find balance without the ability to look inward, whether it is physical balance or balance in our daily lives. Starting the day healthfully can be as simple as breathing and stretching. An important component of a total fitness program is stretching. Add focused deep breathing to a stretch and you’ve entered…