Find Your Team - AdaptED Sports

Find Your AAASP Team

The American Association of AdaptED SPORTS Programs, Inc. (AAASP) is a 501c3 organization that provides services to Local Education Agencies, State High School Associations and State Departments of Education in extracurricular adapted athletics for physically disabled children attending grades 1-12 to improve their well-being while positively influencing total student development.

The AAASP model has been in place since 1996, and ensures disabled students the opportunity to experience the benefits of school sport competition just as their non-disabled peers do.

View AAASP Program Map

▼ Affiliates - Georgia League

Muscogee Lions

Muscogee County

Gwinnett HEAT

Gwinnett County

Atlanta Wolfpack

Atlanta Public Schools

Houston Sharks

Houston County

Clayton Eagles

Clayton County

Georgia Storm

Henry County

DeKalb Silver Streaks

DeKalb County

Rolling Trojans

Peach County

Classic City Dawgs

Clarke County

West GA Wolverines

West Georgia / Troup County

Dougherty County Trailblazers

Dougherty County

NOTE: AdaptED Sports, its member schools, associations and partners, recognize the rare and fragile nature of “local, education-based” teams, and the harm that can result where cooperative recruitment policies and discussions have not been established and agreed upon between themselves and outside groups, including club teams. Recruitment policies are established by each individual program. Ask your local area coordinator about policy allowing or disallowing athletes to participate simultaneously on a school-based and a community-based team or program. AAASP urges community groups and its member programs, parents and athletes to work cooperatively to avoid scheduling and other conflicts where dual participation is allowed. Do no harm.

AAASP State Partners

(opens in a new tab)

AAASP National Partners

(opens in a new tab)

▼ AAASP GA Program Map

Atlanta Wolfpack

Atlanta public schools

Classic City Dawgs

Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton Counties

Clayton Eagles

CLAYTON COUNTY

DeKalb Silver Streaks –

DeKalb County

Dougherty County Trailblazers

Dougherty County

Georgia Storm

Butts, Fayette, Henry, Lamar,
Newton, Pike, Spalding and Upson Counties

Gwinnett HEAT

Gwinnett, Cobb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Hall, and Rockdale Counties

Houston Sharks/Houston Jr. Sharks

Houston County

Muscogee Lions

Muscogee County

Peach County Rolling Trojans

Peach, Bibb, Crawford, Jasper, Jones Monroe & Twiggs Counties

West Georgia Wolverines

Carroll, Coweta, Harris, Heard, Meriwether and Troup Counties

ACHIEVING BIG THINGS TOGETHER SINCE 1996:

interscholastic competitions

school districts

participating schools

seasonal participants

coaches & officials trained

graduation rate

$0M

in grants & equipment to schools

AAASP FAQs

AAASP provides the following sanctioned interscholastic sports for students with physical disabilities in grades 1-12. The basic sports model and the one we suggest schools begin with includes:

Fall – Wheelchair Team Handball
Winter – Wheelchair Basketball
Spring – Wheelchair Football and Wheelchair Track & Field

AAASP has also developed rules and training for the sports of Wheelchair Hockey (for power wheelchair users) and Beep Baseball (for the visually impaired). As programs grow, gaining participants and additional support through resources, these can be added to the athletic offerings. Beep baseball can be played anytime in a classroom setting such a PE or adapted PE and incorporates sighted and visually impaired students on the same team. Additional events can also be added to track and field as warranted through interest or program growth.

Adapted sports athletes are not eligible for Special Olympics. The two organizations target different populations. AAASP serves students with physical disabilities, while Special Olympics serves people with intellectual disabilities.

Yes, all participants practice and compete in a wheelchair to help level the playing field and engage more students with physical disabilities in athletics. Local school member programs provide sports wheelchairs as part of their adapted sports equipment for students who do not use a wheelchair for mobility on a daily basis. Students who are ambulatory, use assistive devices or use a manual or power wheelchair are eligible. If your child uses a wheelchair for daily mobility then they can participate in their everyday chair. Wheelchair team handball and wheelchair football rules allow for the combination of manual and power wheelchair users. Wheelchair basketball rules allow for manual chair users only.

The main physical benefits were an increase in upper body strength and muscle tone, and more importantly, an improvement in attitude toward therapy since their children were eager to be fit and strong so that they could play the sports and be competitive. It has been nothing short of a life-changing experience for most of the children and their parents. The strongest psychological benefits were an increase in confidence and self-esteem, social interaction, and a drive for achieving goals. The strongest social benefits included an increase in social interaction and friendship with others, along with the development of a competitive spirit and becoming more friendly and polite in public.

The other top benefits mentioned by parents were:

Opportunity to play sports that the kids would otherwise never have
The ability to work hard, participate in a group, set goals, and excel in sports
Respect and consideration for others
Active engagement and friendship with other students, mentors and coaches
Improvement in academics.

Have a question that you don't see answered here?
Please click here to contact AAASP and a member of our staff will respond to your inquiry.

Did You Know?

Physical activity reduces obesity and helps prevent health problems like heart disease, breast cancer, and stress-related illnesses like depression. The benefits of physical education programs are equally important for students with disabilities as they are for all students.

It's a Fact!

Individuals with disabilities who participate in sports have higher self-esteem, better body images, and higher rates of academic success; and are more likely to graduate from high school and matriculate in college; and experience greater success and more options.