When Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA) was founded in 1967, it was a loose affiliation of grass-roots level ski programs whose primary function was to introduce recently disabled Vietnam veterans to skiing for recreation and rehabilitation.
In the past three decades, DS/USA has become a U.S. Olympic Committee-member organization providing regional and national recreation, competition, and education programs to more than 60,000 individuals annually. It is the largest organization of its kind for the physically disabled.
Amputees -- The Importance of Being Active
Being active is important for everyone, but especially for amputees (like myself). Amputees and disabled individuals in general need to be more fit than their nondisabled counterparts, simply because they must expend much greater energy just getting around. By becoming physically active, amputees can increase mobility, self-confidence, independence and productivity.
DS/USA's amputee membership encompasses a wide spectrum of "abilities" from the newly injured looking to become active for the first time as amputees, to recreational "weekend warriors," to the hundreds of elite athletes involved in DS/USA's programs. Examples include Tony Volpentest, a double-leg amputee athlete who holds the world record in the 100 meter sprint 11.46 seconds and Sarah Billmeier, a leg amputee skier who has won numerous Paralympic medals.
The First Step: Getting Involved Locally
Through a growing network of 85 community-based chapters, DS/USA now helps more than 60,000 people live more independent and active lives. Each chapter is a focal point for a wide variety of activities and sports programs for individuals of all ages and abilities. Chapters organize and offer year-round fitness, recreation and sports activities, including snow skiing, water skiing, sailing, canoeing, hiking, camping, swimming, cycling and wilderness adventures. These local groups also offer a peer support system that is especially helpful for newly disabled people and their families.
- The DS/USA Chapter and Affiliate Directory is a comprehensive handbook featuring detailed program information on each of DS/USA's 85 community-based programs. The DS/USA Chapter and Affiliate Directory is available by calling DS/USA at (301) 217-0960.
Ski Programs: From Recreational to Competitive
DS/USA is the only organization providing comprehensive ski programs for amputees and other physically disabled individuals. DS/USA offers the SkiTour, a series of more than 20 regional Learn to Ski clinics and Ski Races, and ITT Hartford's Ski Spectacular, the national "crown jewel" of the winter schedule.
ITT Hartford's Ski Spectacular is itself a microcosm of DS/USA it encompasses all elements of skiing, with Learn to Ski clinics for beginning and intermediate recreational skiers, Learn to Race camps for burgeoning ski racers, Learn to Teach clinics for adapted ski instructors, and training camps for the Alpine Junior Elite Team and U.S. Disabled Ski Team. In all, more than 500 skiers, coaches, instructors, volunteers and family members attend the event.
· This year's ITT Hartford's Ski Spectacular is set for December 8-15, in Breckenridge, Colorado. The SkiTour series will be announced in September. To receive information on either, contact DS/USA.
Summer and Winter Competition
Many amputees progress directly from DS/USA's recreation programs to its competitive programs, receiving training to become elite athletes.
Under the authority of the U.S. Olympic Committee, DS/USA sanctions and conducts winter and summer competitions in 11 sports, including nordic and alpine skiing, track and field, standing and sitting volleyball, power lifting, swimming, cycling, sailing, table tennis, lawn bowling and archery. DS/USA also conducts training camps for novice and advanced athletes in these sports.
Amputee Athletes in Non-disabled Sports
Whenever possible, DS/USA encourages amputee athletes to train and participate in existing non-disabled programs. DS/USA maintains close ties with many non-disabled national governing bodies of sports such as U.S. Skiing, U.S. Sailing, U. S. Cycling, USA Volleyball, and USA Track and Field to offer top training opportunities for disabled athletes, many times alongside their non-disabled counterparts.
DS/USA firmly supports the U.S. Olympic Committee's goal of vertical integration for disabled sports programs, wherein non-disabled national governing bodies will eventually assume control of competitive sports programs for disabled athletes.
Paralympics Training The World's Top Amputee Athletes
DS/USA will play a major role in a watershed event in the history of the disabled sports movement training amputee athletes for the Paralympic Games in Atlanta this summer. Millions of people across the world will see athletes with physical disabilities reach accomplishments never before imagined.
- A double-amputee sprinter has sprinted 100 meters in 11.46 seconds on two artificial legs, less than two seconds behind the non-disabled world record.
- A single-leg amputee athlete has high jumped 6 feet, 8 inches, just 6 inches less than the non-disabled world record.
- The U.S. Disabled Volleyball Team, comprised entirely of amputee athletes, has taken bronze medals twice, playing in USA Volleyball Tournaments against non-disabled teams. The USDVT has now twice qualified for the U.S. Open National Volleyball Invitational Championships.
Becoming a DS/USA Competitive Athlete:
· Enroll in DS/USA through your local chapter, or as an at-large member. At-large membership forms are available by contacting DS/USA. Request to join specifically as a competitive athlete.
· Participate in competitions and/or training camps conducted or sanctioned by DS/USA; or, participate in local non-disabled athletic events, and forward your results to the DS/USA Competition Services Department.
Contacting DS/USA
· DS/USA now has a site on the World Wide Web information on DS/USA programs, events and chapters is available at http://www.dsusa.org/~dsusa/dsusa.html (NOTE: This page is no longer available. Try http://www.dsusa.org ). The DS/USA Chapter and Affiliate Directory can also be accessed on-line. Many chapters maintain World Wide Web sites and can be accessed via the DS/USA site. The DS/USA site also features links to additional information sources on sports and recreation.
· For additional information, please contact DS/USA at 451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850; (301) 217-0960.
About the Author
Executive director of Disabled Sports USA for the last 14 years, Kirk Bauer spent his first 13 years as a volunteer for DS/USA.
He lost his leg in Vietnam and became involved with skiing through Disabled Sports, going on to earn national competition medals as a ski racer between 1972 and 1980.
A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Kirk completed his law degree in 1978 at Boston University. Under his leadership, DS/USA has become the nation's largest disabled sports and recreation program, assisting some 60,000 people through 90 chapters in 40 states.
