#adaptive recreation

Birth injury experts at Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys discuss one of Michigan's most unique recreational therapy and adaptive sports programs, Challenge Mountain.

My passion for recreational programs and activities offered to people with disabilities began not long after my son, Tyler, was born with spina bifida in 1986. When Tyler was old enough to take part in sporting events and told my wife, Becky, and me about his eagerness to participate, we became discouraged. We realized the only way he was going to have opportunities was if we created them because there were so few available to children with disabilities. So, that is exactly what we did.  

Becky and I worked Tyler’s opportunities around our schedules of trying to grow our business. Shortly after, we entered Tyler in road races, where we were introduced to the Arkansas Rollin’ Razorbacks wheelchair basketball team. In 1993, I started a junior wheelchair basketball team in Little Rock, Arkansas and coached my son and other children with disabilities.

I first met Jim Hayes, the former Movin’ Mavs head coach, when he was recruiting some of my junior players at a tournament. In 2004, Coach Hayes recruited Tyler to play for the UT-Arlington Movin’ Mavs, and shortly after, I volunteered to be Coach Hayes’ assistant head coach. I came to UTA in 2007, and when Hayes passed away in 2008, I served as the interim head coach. I was later hired for the position as the head coach.