National Disability Sports Conference.March 17-20, 2005, at the University of Georgia OrganizationThe President of the University of Georgia (as of 2007, Michael F. Adams) is the head administrator and is appointed and overseen by the Georgia Board of Regents. the U.S. Disabled Athletes Fund hosted its fourth annual National Disability Sports Conference. The four-day Conference, held on the campus of the University of Georgia, provided an opportunity for community-based coaches, educators, students, adapted sports professionals, rehabilitation and health care professionals, community recreation administrators and delegates of national organizations promoting sports for people with physical disabilities to increase their knowledge related to physical activity, healthy lifestyle, and competitive sports opportunities for children and adults with physical disabilities. The centerpiece of the Conference featured sports training Sports training refers to specialized strategies and methods of exercise used in various sports to develop athletes and prepare them for performing in sporting events. Sports training methods and education sessions designed to provide both novice and advanced participants opportunities to receive classroom and hands-on instruction from nationally and internationally recognized coaching experts in a range of adapted sports. The sports included wheelchair basketball Wheelchair basketball is a sport played primarily by people with disabilities. In some countries such as Canada, Australia and England, able-bodied athletes are allowed to compete alongside other athletes on mixed teams. , wheelchair rugby Wheelchair rugby The sport's original name was murderball; in the United States, it is referred to as quad rugby. All wheelchair rugby players are quadriplegic, with a disability affecting both upper and lower limbs. , wheelchair tennis, swimming, wheelchair and ambulatory track/field, boccia, and goalball Goalball is a team sport designed for blind athletes. It was devised by an Austrian, Hanz Lorenzen, and a German, Sepp Reindle, in 1946 in an effort to help in the rehabilitation of visually impaired World War II veterans[1]. . The third day of the Conference included education sessions addressing competitive sports for youths with physical disabilities, organizing and managing community sports programs for persons with physical disabilities. In addition to these, the Paralympic Academy Program covered issues related to coaching youth sports and coaching athletes with disabilities. This Conference opened the way for the inclusion of sports for persons with physical disabilities into existing community-based sports programs. This was done by providing information and developing the skills of people who will actively promote these sports in communities across the U.S. Program partners for the Conference included the National Recreation and Park Association, U.S. Paralympics, and several leading sport-specific disability sports organizations including the National Disability Sports Alliance, the United States Association of Blind Athletes The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), is an organization founded in 1976 to increase the number and quality of world-class athletic opportunities for Americans who are blind or visually impaired. , and Wheelchair Sports USA. For more information see www.blazesports.com or e-mail NDS See eDirectory. NDS - Netware Directory Services 2005@blazesports.com. |
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