By James Harley
People with disabilities, like other adults, love to participate in activities in their communities. Unfortunately, during the past two years of the pandemic, many people with disabilities lost the opportunity to participate in sports and were isolated in their homes. Now, people want to be engaged in their communities again. Recreational sports are a perfect opportunity to be involved, and Hamilton County has a variety of sports leagues and programs available.
Cincinnati Recreation Commission
Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) provides sports opportunities for people with disabilities throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. These programs include wheelchair or adaptative sports so people with physical limitations can participate in their favorite sports. Examples include:
- Wheelchair basketball or football
- Adapted baseball or soccer
The adaptive basketball program is designed for athletes with the skill and knowledge to play regulated basketball. Wheelchair football is designed so people in wheelchairs can play football. With the Cincinnati Recreation Commission programs, teams can include people with and without disabilities playing together.
Contact Kristen Riggins, 513-352-4055 or kristen.riggins@cincinnati-oh.gov.
Clovernook Center Adaptive Sports and Leisure Program
clovernook.org/youth-services/adaptivesports
Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired has partnered with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to offer adaptive sports and leisure for people who are visually impaired so they can enjoy sports like everyone else. Some of these activities are:
- Winter skiing
- Boxing
- Rock climbing
- Tennis
An example of the adaptations could be 2-to- 1 student-teacher instruction for skiing, and a larger yellow ball with bells for tennis.
Contact Fred Neurohr at 513-293-0090 or email AdaptiveSports@cchmc.org.
Cincinnati Cyclone Special Hockey
Cincinnati Cyclone Special Hockey is a program that provides the opportunity for people with disabilities to play ice hockey. Hockey is adapted for many different disabilities so anyone age 6 or older can enjoy the game. Participants can also learn other valuable life skills, such as dependability, self-reliance, concentration, and the willingness to share. The season begins in September and ends in early April. Practices are held weekly at the Northland Ice Center.
Email cincinnatispecialhockey@gmail.com or call 513-276-0617 to learn more.
Hamilton County Special Olympics
Hamilton County Special Olympics offers many seasonal and year-round athletic opportunities for people with disabilities. Some of the sports and recreational programs include bowling, basketball, track and field, gymnastics and baseball. Special Olympics provides opportunities for people with disabilities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience the joy of achievement, be included in the community, build skills and make friends. They also have Unified Sports teams, which include people with and without disabilities.
Email sohcadmin@specialolympics-hc.org or call 513-271-2606 to learn more.
The Bridge Adaptive Sports & Rec
The Bridge Adaptive Sports & Rec connects people with disabilities to opportunities to be active around Greater Cincinnati. Special events and sports leagues include soccer, disc golf, tennis and more. They also have an adaptive equipment loan program so people with disabilities can get what they need to participate in sports and recreation.
Email info@bridgeadaptive.org to learn more.
These are just a few opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to get more involved in recreation. So, as we are beginning to get back to life as normal, check out some of these sports leagues and programs to help you get active again!
