Bowling Green adaptive sports receives grant

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - The adaptive sports program in Bowling Green will soon receive a grant of just over $21,000 from the University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute.

“We’ve been involved with the University of Kentucky for three years now and we’re excited to roll out new program initiatives,” said Cameron Levis, Bowling Green Parks, and Rec Special Populations Instructor.

Adaptive sports will be implementing four new program initiatives. The program will be launching a junior and adult competitive wheelchair basketball team.

“We’ll kind of be rolling out over the next few months the names of those teams, some of the branding and what that’s going to look like,” Levis said.

The program will also be working with Warren County Parks and Recreation to make the creek access at Phil Moore Park accessible to those with disabilities. Adaptive sports will be purchasing kayaks and adaptive enhancements to allow people with disabilities to do water sports.

Last December, adaptive sports did a sled hockey demo out at the SOKY Ice Rink. The program will be purchasing a few of the used by players to give those with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy the ice.

“That will just open to door to somebody with a disability to use the ice rink alongside their siblings, alongside their family,” Levis said.

The final initiative will be an adaptive and inclusive archery program.

Levis said adaptive sports equipment and facility updates provide people with disabilities access to the same opportunities as everyone else. However, that equipment can be very expensive and that is part of the reason why there so few adaptive sports programs across the county. According to Levis, grants play an important role in covering the costs of adaptive sports.

“If we can do everything we can to get grant funding, to get that money from an organization that is public or even private entities that wants to help start adaptive sports programs and push for these opportunities to enjoy recreation and sport, we want to pursue those,” Levis said. “It’s definitely a route we take pretty often and we’re just fortunate to be able to receive them.”

Bowling Green’s adaptive sports program did have to apply for the grant and present the program’s ideas as to what they would use the funding for.

The adaptive sports program will receive portions of the $21,249 over the next year as it completes portions and milestones of the project.

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