NRPA Agencies selected for charter program of BlazeSports™ Clubs of America - Rec Room - National Recreation and Park Association - Brief Article

Parks & Recreation, April, 2002

NRPA joined forces with The U. S. Disabled Athletes Fund, Inc. (USDAF) at the recent Salt Lake City Paralympic Games to announce the eight Charter Communities that will host BlazeSports[TM] Clubs of America. The NPRA Agencies include: Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association, Addison, Ill.; Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Austin, Texas; San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, San Antonio, Texas; City of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services, Las Vegas, Nev.; Maine Niles Association of Special Recreation/ Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association, Morton Grove, Ill; The Sports Group, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation, Tampa, Fla.; and Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Department, Virginia Beach, Va.

The BlazeSports Clubs of America program is modeled after the pilot developed in the State of Georgia by USDAF following the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. USDAF holds all rights to the program and will be responsible for its development and management. NRPA is the Presenting Partner of the program and will assist with site selection and fund development for the program.

"This announcement moves the mission of the USDAF - `To maximize the potential of people with physical disability through sport' -- one step closer to reality. We hope to soon see sports and recreation easily accessible in communities serving all Americans -- and on a par with those currently offered for non-disabled" said Andy Fleming, USDAF President.

BlazeSports Clubs of America will be implemented over a three-year period through community recreation agencies across the United States. In addition, USDAF will deliver regional and national camps, clinics and competitions, greatly expanding the scope of sports for persons with physical disabilities.

Selected for the quality of their programs and their commitment to providing recreation services to all members of the community, these NRPA agencies will work in partnership with BlazeSports Clubs of America to form a BlazeSports Club steering committee, select the sports to offer, and train staff and coaches. The start up date is fall of 2002.

BlazeSports Clubs of America, in addition to offering a comprehensive menu of sports opportunities, will train community recreation providers to deliver adapted sports as part of their ongoing programs. Sports offered through the program currently include wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, track and field and swimming -- all sports widely practiced by both disabled and non-disabled athletes and on the program of the Summer Paralympic Games. It is expected that the program will quickly expand to include selected winter Paralympic sports in communities where this is appropriate.

"NRPA is pleased to play a major role in bringing this national sports and fitness program for persons with physical disabilities to communities across America. NRPA has a deep and long-standing commitment to therapeutic recreation and universal access to public spaces. We welcome this opportunity to partner with USDAF and the BlazeSports Clubs of America program," stated T. Destry Jarvis, Executive Director, NRPA

Serving as a Strategic Partner to the program will be the U. S. Paralympics, the official body responsible for the development of athletes with disabilities from grassroots to the Paralympic Games in all sports on the program of the Paralympic Games. In announcing the program at the Salt Lake City Paralympic Games, Charlie Huebner, Chief Executive Officer of U. S. Paralympics, pointed to BlazeSports Clubs of America as "an important step in the integration of sports for youth and adults with physical disability into existing programs across America."

For additional information contact the USDAF at 770-850-8199, blazesports@ blazesports.com, or visit www.blazesports.com.