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Building Community Through Fun: How the Paralympic Spirit Shines Through in PRNS’ Adaptive Sports Programs
Adaptive Sports Programs in San José Promote Friendship and Independence Through Competition
The swish of a basketball through the net, the clatter of pins falling after being hit by a bowling ball, or the smack of a pickleball from a paddle. Regardless of your favorite sport, it’s hard to deny the bonding power they have. There’s nothing that brings people together quite like athletics!
Friendly competition is one of many ways that people with disabilities can make new friends and celebrate their independence.
Beginning tomorrow, it’s time for the Paralympic Games in Paris. Athletes with disabilities will compete on a world stage in a wide variety of sports to see who the best is.
What do the Olympics and San Jos have in common? The spirit of competition and bonding through sports! The San Jos Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department (PRNS) is no stranger to healthy competition. Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS), a program provided by PRNS, believes in the uniting power of sports. PRNS offers a variety of sports programs, but there are some that stand out for their accessibility to all.
Sports are for everyone! TRS makes sure that everyone has a chance to participate. TRS provides recreation, education, and community services to enrich the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Everyone has a seat at the table - or on the court!
The adaptive sports programs TRS runs at Bascom Community Center, Camden Community Center, Mayfair Community Center, and Seven Trees Community Center give everyone the chance to recreate and form important bonds with their peers. Adaptive sports offered by PRNS include power soccer, wheelchair basketball, and adaptive bowling, golf, and dance classes such as folklorico!
One sport will be featured during the Paralympics in Paris and is also featured at community centers in San Jos - is wheelchair basketball. In wheelchair basketball, players compete in wheelchairs trying to score points.
Hear the squeak of wheels and the bouncing of a basketball on the court? Chances are you’re about to see some serious competition.
Power soccer is another popular offering and involves competitors using their powered wheelchairs to move the ball towards the goal. The impacts of adaptive sports go beyond the satisfaction of making a great three point shot or scoring a goal. These programs promote access and inclusion for all.
Power soccer is another popular offering by PRNS.
Prefer to watch sports from the crowd and cheer on your friends? No worries! Opportunities through TRS for individuals with disabilities don’t end with playing sports. TRS also has various social offerings that don’t require the desire to make a free throw, such as cooking for all and playgroups for children with special needs.
Recreation is for everybody! Inclusion is a priority for the PRNS department and is present in all different kinds of programming. Inclusion support services include interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing, improved signage, activity modification, staff training, and accessible equipment and facility features.
The ActivateSJ Strategic Plan is the City of San José's Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) plan to maintain, improve and expand our facilities, programs, and services. The plan guides how we care for and develop a diverse park system and an abundance of recreation programs and services for all in San José.
ActivateSJ’s mission is to connect people through parks, recreation, and neighborhood services for an active San José. To learn more about our department’s plan and vision to move forward, visit activatesj.org.