Resilience on the court: Adaptive sports program provides fun, competition

A former tennis club is now the spot for much-needed programming for those in wheelchairs.

The Santa Fe Club, a hotspot for tennis in the 80s and 90s is now the Santa Fe Family Life Center (SFFLC), a non-profit wellness center and Chamber member, and the first location in central and western Oklahoma to offer year-round adaptive sports programming.  

Adaptive sports programming takes competitive sports and adapts them to individuals with disabilities. Wheelchair basketball, tennis, and pickleball are all offered at SFFLC.

A strategic planning process in 2016 identified a need for sports activities for individuals with disabilities. “We saw a huge need for adaptive sports programming. There just aren’t a lot of options for physical activities for those with disabilities and we wanted to change that,” said James Timberlake, the SFFLC executive director.

Improvements to the center were required to serve the adaptive sports community and with those improvements set a goal of becoming a location for events and tournaments. “We had to have accessibility but also usability,” added Timberlake. “Things we take for granted when it comes to participating in a sport had to be addressed so we are offering the very best experience.”

The hard work paid off—SFFLC is now the host location for an annual wheelchair basketball tournament sanctioned by the Wheelchair Basketball Association. 

Adaptive sports not only enable individuals to exercise and stay healthy, but there’s often a therapeutic component, especially if being in a wheelchair is the result of an accident.  “There’s a confidence factor that has to be developed if someone was active prior to being in a wheelchair,” said Timberlake. He shared the story of Jason, who became a wheelchair user as the result of an injury that left him paralyzed. Active prior to his accident, Jason was struggling with how his formerly active life might look now that he’s in a wheelchair. Another adaptive sports participant shared his personal experience with Jason. “He never knew there was such a thing and it opened his eyes to the possibilities of what he could do, instead of what he couldn’t. I love seeing how far he’s come.” Now Jason travels to wheelchair tennis tournaments and has developed training programs for SFFLC.

The SFFLC also works with several community partners including the Oklahoma City VA Hospital to develop programs for veterans. They’re also working with fellow Chamber member Sabolich Prosthetics and Research to create an introduction to adaptive sports program.

Adults aren’t the only ones benefitting from the SFFLC, kids make up a big part of the adaptive sports program. “Seeing kids play warms your heart for sure, their resiliency is incredible,” remarked Timberlake. In addition to the physical aspect, the program has helped build relationships and friendships between kids outside of their normal school day. Timberlake also says the parents have found a support system amongst each other and a community that supports them—and their children.

Adaptive sports are just one of many components of SFFLC. This past year, the SFFLC donated over 1,500 hours of facility usage time to the local community, provided health and fitness opportunities for underprivileged youth, and served over 9,000 kids in youth sports leagues.