AAASP Services
Realizing Your Goals
While the benefits of interscholastic adapted sport programming are clear, how to realize that goal is often not so clear. Local adoption can be a complicated process, often requiring years of coalition building, effective policy, and development work. Once this groundwork has been laid, the implementation phases can be just as intricate.
AAASP assists national, state, and local educational agencies with research in developing a framework for phased adoption. This structured approach is then coupled with the AAASP comprehensive training program, which allows administrators, coaches and officials to acquire the knowledge they need to be successful. The result is managed adoption while ensuring a standard of excellence.
AAASP was founded 20 years ago and has developed proven and successful program strategies to provide competitive interscholastic adapted team sport competition for students with physical disabilities.
How We Can Help
AAASP has developed a system for analyzing data and mapping (states, counties, districts) to help determine team makeup (combining schools within districts, districts within counties or counties within states) to ensure a competitive environment and sustainability of the program.
AAASP has developed a comprehensive training program for coaches that include manuals and mandatory training and certification.
Being part of the association allows schools to have access to professionals with over 20 years experience in competitive interscholastic adapted sports as well as a forum to communicate with other districts who may have common problems or issues. They will also have the opportunity to provide input into rules committees.Coaches Training Program
AAASP provides a professional coaches education program for school personnel coaching students with physical disabilities in adapted sports. All adapted sports coaches are required to take the training course for the sports they are coaching including, wheelchair handball, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair football and wheelchair track and field.
Adapted sports coaches receive instruction and training from AAASP, both in the team sports and individual sports which include the rules of play, implications of coaching students with various physical disabilities, safety guidelines, proper use of equipment, proper positioning, coaching philosophy which fosters a process based vs. outcome based environment, wheelchair handling techniques, fundamental skills and drills, individual and team goal setting, how best to incorporate power chair users in team play with manual chair users, and strategy.
For more information, please contact Robyn Hootselle
Officials Training Program
The American Association of Adapted Sports Programs, Inc. (AAASP), conducts educational training for game officials to enable high quality adaptedSPORTS® programming for its member school districts. These trainings cover policies and procedures, competition rules, and guidelines for ensuring fair and equitable play. The trainings are conducted in an all-day, sport-specific clinic that includes class time and hands-on instruction. The trainings also cover game officials’ authority, signals and positioning on the court for lead and trailing officials, as well as pre- and post-game duties.
AAASP requires all of its officials to complete the annual all-day training clinic for each respective sport officiated and officials are required to adhere to the uniform policy of AAASP. Officials are taught to administer all sanctioned contests within the rules and procedures established by AAASP and adhere to a higher standard of behavior on and off the playing field as a registered sport’s official of AAASP.
For more information, please contact Robyn Hootselle
Five Steps to Develop Interscholastic Opportunities for Children with Disabilities
Envisioning a society where all children with physical disabilities can experience the satisfaction and rewards of competitive-based sports.
STEP 1:
TIPOFF TO THE
FAST BREAK
Awareness Campaign: PSA, Traditional & Social Media
STEP 2:
PRESEASON CONSULTATION
Conducted by AAASP: School Consultation / Organization Phase
STEP 3:
AAASP COACHING CLINICS
Training Clinics: Staff Development, Education Training and Sponsorship
STEP 4:
LOCKER ROOMS / OUTFITTING
Outfit the Teams: Equipment and Uniform Procurement
STEP 5:
BEGIN REGULAR SEASON PLAY
12-week Seasons: Weekly Practices, 6 Games Total and State Championship
A Win-Win for Everyone
The AAASP method of ensures an equitable opportunity in school athletic programs for physically disabled students. It's a win-win for schools and community organizations.
This nationally recognized award-winning model complies with federal mandates and provides partners with quality proven implementation strategies while offering a coordinated approach for growth and sustainability in adapted athletics at the local level. The advantage for partnering schools and community organizations is they can maximize participation, share resources, coordinate services and avoid duplicating programs. Partners have access to best practices, adaptedSPORTS® policy, resources, data, research, educational training programs, equipment kits, rules committees, and technical expertise to successfully implement inclusive adapted athletic programs to improve the well-being of children with physical disabilities.
OUR WORK
Put simply, we train coaches, coordinators, officials and school administrators how to engage, serve and fully integrate the last group of students still sidelined in sports in America's schools - those with physical disabilities. That's HUGE! But it's no longer hugely difficult or expensive.
OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES
Since our founding in Atlanta in 1996, AAASP has been hailed as the "premier" organization successfully serving, "America's Sidelined Kids." We've demonstrated that when a school system adds even one adapted sports program, the overall physical and emotional health of their students with physical disabilities is positively affected, along with their academic performance.
AN AWARD-WINNING APPROACH
AAASP employs a competitive, cross-disability model that maximizes the number of students and types of disabilities who may be eligible for a single team.This approach has been a game changer–making the formation of local school teams possible at the district and regional level.
Listening, Learning and Leading with Partners like NFHS, NIAAA & FlagHouse
Award-Winning Best Practices for Education-Based Adapted Sports
With this initiative, we promote the adoption or implementation of strategies proven to work and produce positive results for students and schools.
Reinforcing Our Commitment to Developing & Sharing
We Provide the Rules, Training Videos & Teaching Aids
Utilizing its nationally honored model, in use since the 1996 Paralympic Games, and showcasing Georgia as its fully developed prototype, AAASP has led the way in removing barriers that had previously thwarted the full participation and inclusion of student athletes with physical disabilities in school athletics.
Taking It One Step at a Time
Professional Assistance: AAASP Workshops, Mentoring, Consulting and Implementation
AAASP assists national, state, and local educational agencies with research in developing a framework for phased adoption. This structured approach is then coupled with the AAASP comprehensive training program, which allows administrators, coaches and officials to acquire the knowledge they need to be successful. The result is managed adoption while ensuring a standard of excellence.