Outstanding AAASP Athletes Recognized this Spring!

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Outstanding AAASP Athletes Recognized this Spring!

Congratulations to the following athletes that were recognized by several different organizations for being outstanding student athletes in their fields!

 

 

SAM MILLIKAN – Gwinnett Heat 

Congratulations to Gwinnett Heat’s Sam Millikan for being recognized at the Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Outstanding Senior Athlete Banquet!

See full article here!

 

 

 

 

JESSE COCHRAN – West Georgia Wolverines

Congratulations to Jesse Cochran — Jesse has been named the Most Positive Adapted Sports Athlete in South Atlanta! He is being recognized as a regional winner through Positive Athlete Georgia for the 2018-2019 school year. Jesse is a Junior at The Lighthouse School and plays for the West Georgia Wolverines. Way to go, Jesse!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEVIN WHITE – DeKalb Silver Streaks

Congratulations to Devin White –  he has been named the Positive Athlete Georgia Most Positive Athlete in Atlanta for Adapted Sports!  Born 10 weeks early, Devin White has beat the odds in life. He has lead the DeKalb Silver Streaks Adapted Sports team to three state championships in basketball and football. Not bad for a kid who doctors said would never walk, talk or hear. Devin was born 10 weeks early, weighing just three pounds, three ounces. Despite all of the medical challenges Devin has faced, he has never given up and he is always encouraging others to continue to fight.

Devin is a sophomore at Druid Hills High School with a 3.682 GPA. He is passionate about giving back to organizations that truly support children with special needs and volunteers in his community with the March of Dimes, The Heart Walk, and the Breast Cancer Walk.

Devin would like to be a sports commentator and/or physical education teacher after he completes college. His future college aspirations are to attend Clemson University or Duke University.

He has had a long journey, but he’s doing well. He still has some medical challenges, but he is fighting and beating the odds every day. Monica White, PHR

Congratulations to our new AAASP Board President Nancy Turnipseed!

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Getting to know our President of the Board, Nancy Turnipseed

Nancy Turnipseed is the newly elected President of American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP) Board of Directors, bringing a wealth of experience to this important position.  Currently, a 1st-grade teacher at Decatur City Schools, Nancy is paralyzed from the waist down, due to Spina Bifida, and is a former AAASP athlete.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the Spina Bifida Association of Georgia and is involved with other organizations advocating for those living with disabilities such as the Junior Committee for the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

Having been an AAASP athlete herself, Nancy comes with a great desire to promote and inspire others to participate in athletics.  She is thankful for the encouragement of parents when at age 7, after deciding not to play the piano, her parents told her, “There is no reason why you shouldn’t try sports.”  At that time, 1986, there were only 2 Adapted Sports teams in the area, and they all practiced in one gym.  Since Nancy lived in Decatur, GA, she was ineligible to play with DeKalb Schools Adapted Sports, but her parents jumped through the necessary hoops, and soon she was playing wheelchair soccer.  (As a side note, Attorney Bill Turnipseed and the late Sara Turnipseed, both of whom were instrumental decades ago in promoting adapted sports in DeKalb county Georgia, lead some of the initial efforts to seeding the organization as it exists today.)   “My parents were really good about not putting limitations on me and encouraged me to do things I couldn’t do,” said Turnipseed.   Sports did not stop at soccer… at age 8 she was swimming, age 9, track and field and at age 13 she became certified to scuba dive.  “I never considered that I couldn’t scuba dive, I truly believe my dad wanted a dive buddy,” she shares.

Nancy has had over 20 surgeries, but says her disability was never really talked about at home.

After high school, went to University of Arizona to study Communications and Journalism.  While there, Nancy dabbled in sports, practicing with the wheelchair tennis team, and wheelchair basketball team.  Nancy graduated from U of A in 2002 and began work in Healthcare PR, but felt a strong calling to teach.  She went back to school to get her Masters in Education, and went into the classroom – this is her 11th year teaching.  “Being in the classroom is the hardest and best job I’ve ever done.  It is so rewarding to see the children grow.”

Turnipseed had served as vice president of the AAASP board since 2015, until her recent nomination to Board President.

 

Even though she has been acting President for the past year, Nancy is still a little nervous to be running the meetings.   “Maybe it’s just the parliamentary portion that is,” but she says, “the rest of the board thinks I can do this, and I’m eager to step up to the challenge!”

“I know how important it is to be raised with high expectations, and I know today there are a lot of people who don’t know how to help their kids with disabilities,” said Turnipseed.   “As AAASP Board President, my goal is to be an advocate of the organization and give back to an organization that gave me so much as I was growing up.  I will always be thankful!”

And now, she works at being that advocate for others.

 

For more info on Nancy, please visit:    http://adaptedsports.org/nancy-turnipseed/

 

2019 AAASP Wheelchair Basketball Championships Set for March 8, 2019 at 3:00 PM in Macon!

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The 2019 American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP) Wheelchair Basketball Season Is Underway; Championships Set for March 8th at 3 PM in Macon!

 

The American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP), kicked off the 2019 Wheelchair Basketball Season this past weekend across the state with games beginning Saturday and taking place throughout January and February; it is the 22nd annual interscholastic wheelchair basketball season in Georgia.

 

Students representing over 40 varying physical disability groups are competing this year and range in grades from 1 to 12, though most are middle and high school.  The top teams in the JV and Varsity divisions compete for first and second place titles.  The Semi-Finals Games will be held Saturday, March, 2nd, 2019 by Henry County Schools and Henry County Parks and Recreation at the J. P. Moseley Recreation Center in Stockbridge, GA.at 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM; Junior Varsity Championship Game will be held at 2:00 PM that day.  The Wheelchair basketball season will conclude with the AAASP/GHSA Wheelchair Basketball State Championship taking place as part of the state-wide Championships in Macon, Georgia, on Friday, March, 8th, 2019, at the Macon Coliseum at 3 pm.

 

“We are excited about playing our wheelchair state championship game as the third game of the day on that Friday (March 8),” said Robin Hines, Executive Director, Georgia High School Association.  “I feel it’s important to take this opportunity to expose our fans to athletes who are outstanding and talented. Our hope is that it will be an encouragement for our schools and school districts across the state to provide this opportunity to more kids. And I think this will add to the experience of our wheelchair players to be able to showcase their talents in front of a larger audience.”

 

Teams from the following school districts are participating in the wheelchair team basketball league, under the dual governing alliance with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), in the GA State Varsity Division –Clayton Eagles, Gwinnett Heat, Henry Hurricanes, Houston Sharks, and the West Georgia Wolverines (Meriwether).  The following three teams are competing in the GA State Junior Varsity Division – DeKalb Silver Streaks, Houston Jr. Sharks and the Muscogee Lions. Click here for the full AAASP #wheelchairbasketball schedule.

 

GHSA formed the nation’s first dual governing alliance with the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs, Inc. (AAASP) in 2001 to pioneer efforts in school athletic programs for students with physical disabilities.  Through this alliance, GHSA recognizes AAASP as the governing and sanctioning body for adapted sports programs for Georgia’s schools.

 

For more information on Wheelchair Basketball, for a copy of the rules, or how to start a team in your area, please log on to:  http://adaptedsports.org .  Schools or districts can learn more about becoming a member of AAASP by contacting us 404-294-0070 or the Georgia High School Association.