Business
Executive Director and Co-Founder Tommie Storms of the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs, Inc. (AAASP) joins the Atlanta Real Estate Forum podcast to discuss the association's 25th anniversary and the journey of adapting sports across the country. Storms joins hosts Carol Morgan and Todd Schnick for the Around Atlanta segment. After the 1996 Olympics, many kids inspired by the incredible athletes, including kids with disabilities, wanted to participate in sports. In Atlanta, the Paralympic Games, the first full-blown games centered around athletes with disabilities, were particularly inspirational. Disabled kids inspired by the games needed somewhere they could participate in popular sports. Storms co-founded the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs, Inc., a charity focusing on adapting popular sports after the 1996 games. She met the needs of disabled kids with a dream of playing sports such as basketball, track and field and football by taking popular sports and adapting them for kids in wheelchairs. Mostly, the sports look similar but adapted for special needs and varying levels of abilities. Noticing many similar community programs, Storms and her team saw a lack of school programs and focused on replicating their curriculum within the schools to meet this underserved niche. Information about their program and mission was circulated through different schools and eventually led to seasonal competitions, 35 programs across Georgia and tournaments. In their fifth year, they approached the Georgia High School Association to incorporate what they were doing into the sports infrastructure in Georgia. “We've created a wonderful program,” said Storms. “An easy way for parents and kids to get involved.” There was a learning curve and several barriers in the beginning. The association received concerns that children in wheelchairs were too fragile, and participation would lead to injuries. Newspapers also did not consider the games sports. Fortunately, after witnessing the games and experiencing them firsthand, many change their perspective. “They will take you where you want to go if you can show them where there are barriers, how easily they are removed and how they can be a part of it,” stated Storms when discussing the barriers that they have overcome. Their team, The Gwinnett Heat is advertised in newspapers and has previously won a state title. These teams regularly play against teams without disabled players and adapt the rules, using the association’s standardization and line of sporting goods. The programs offered by AAASP assist teachers around the country in determining what sports their kids can play, what the adapted sport looks like and obtaining the equipment. What makes them unique is that they are the first and only interscholastic athletic association solely focused on adapted sports for kids with physical disabilities. Neglected by the school system, physically disabled kids who lacked cognitive impairment could not participate in a traditional team. That is the gap that the American Association for Adapted Sports Programs, Inc. fills. This competitive program helps kids develop their strength, cardiovascular system as well as many other physical benefits. In Georgia, if a parent has a child with a disability, they can contact AAASP or declare themselves to a coach. The child must be in first through twelfth grade, with or without a wheelchair, able to ambulate on their own or use an assistive device. After contact is made, AAASP will determine the needs of the child and what is available nearby. In the Atlanta area, the focus is team sports, but track and field are available statewide. The Wheelchair Varsity Finals Games has been televised since offered by the association. The event is broadcasted by the National Federation of State High Schools Association and covers boy’s and girl’s finals for associations across the nation.