One of the great things about what we do is that for folks with a sports background, there is an instant connection with the thought of what it means to be an athlete –a natural PASSION for a particular sport ( tennis, basketball, lacrosse)–whether you participate with use of a wheelchair, or prosthetic leg, or guided runner–someone with a passion for sports knows that the athletic mind is innate and adapting or modifying a sport does not change the its true essence…it simply allows for that freedom and independence to be felt on the field of play for athletes of varying abilities.  This being said, it is easy for us to capture volunteers and potential donors by simply inviting them to come out to a program or event…meet our athletes, hear their stories, and see their passion illuminate as they swing the racquet or cross the finish line. How can you not want to become involved?

Tonight on the tennis courts we had a very diverse group of athletes  who were being lead by an amazing team of staff and volunteer coaches.  When I walked up on the courts I instantly had the sense that everyone was happy…enjoying themselves.  You could sense the passion of the coaches and volunteers instructing… wanting everyone to get the most out of the limited time they had on the courts.  You could also sense the passion of our athletes to learn, be active,  to gain that competitive edge for an upcoming tournament, and some just a passion to be around people and to simply socialize.  WOW… two tennis courts overflowing at Byrd Park with such great energy tonight, a true testament to why we do what we do and why it is so important to have the right team in place to continue to raise the awareness about the limitless potential that our athletes have to achieve great things both on and off the court!

I am very proud to be a part of this team/organization and feel so thankful to our athletes, volunteers, coaches, staff, board of directors, partners, and donors who  share with me a passion to ensure that for many years to come the Richmond community can boast a program focused on raising awareness, educating, and offering support for people with physical disabilities to be able to participate in sport and healthy lifestyle programs.

By definition, TEAMWORK is defined by the actions of individuals, brought together for a common purpose or goal, which subordinate the needs of the individual to the needs of the group. In essence, each person on the team puts aside his or her individual needs to work towards the larger group objective. The interactions among the members and the work they complete is called teamwork.

We have a strong set of values that guide the behavior of all those who work, play and compete at Sportable and this idea of teamwork or team spirit is at the core!

Our TEAM takes a broad approach and includes our staff, board of directors, volunteers, coaches, partners, and community supporters.  It is this team approach to achieving our mission that allows Sportable athletes to realize their true potential, and we pride ourselves on working together to create an environment that allows each individual we serve to  see beyond their limitations.

The month of March was filled with perfect examples of this… from the 10k Training Team and first ever “official” wheelchair division of the Ukrop’s Monument 10k (in partnership with Sports Backers) to our Paralympic Experience Day and the special guest appearance of VCU Men’s Basketball Team (in partnership with their Center for Sports Leadership)– Sportable is successful because of our ability to collaborate and work with others.  I am proud to say that we truly value each athlete, volunteer, staff person, board member, community partner and what each bring to the table as we work to create opportunities and transform lives of people with physical disabilities through sport.

I am very fortunate for being able to sit back periodically and see how far we have come through the efforts of so many people who share the passion for ensuring that EVERYONE benefits from sports and leading a healthy active lifestyle.  I was blown away by the feedback from our friends in the Richmond sports community as they stopped by our table at the Anthem Health & Fitness Expo…Sportable is surely gaining momentum and the community is seeing the impact we can have.

The smiles on the faces of the Jrs. Wheelchair Basketball players as they gave pointers to the VCU Men’s Team on how to maneuver the sports wheelchair and the sheer determintation on the faces of our athletes in the Monument 10k are what get me out of bed every morning.  As a member of this great Sportable team,  this does not go unnoticed and I personally do not want to let my teammates down … so, I continue to fight to ensure that Sportable will always be there for the betterment of the community and more importantly for each of our athletes who before may not have even known what their true potential was without having had the opportunity to participate in sport.

As Henry Ford once said “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”   I look forward to continuing to work together with all Sportable teammates who wish to support our mission of creating opportunities and transforming lives!

The building blocks of the Sportable brand are as follows:

Freeing our athletes to see beyond their disabilities
Building peer relationships and reducing social isolation
Facilitating physical and attitudinal change in our community

This is the promise we make to you-our constituencies, which includes our athletes, volunteers, partners, sponsors,volunteers, Board of Directors, and  staff.  How we operate and everything we do  is based off the road map developed to support the maintenance of brand pillars ( building blocks).

The best part of my role at Sportable, is that not only do I get to lead the charge in way of strategy and developing or fine tuning our road map, but more importantly, I get to witness first hand the results of our work.

It may seem as though much of my focus has been on the 10k training team in the past month and perhaps you are right.  I think this is in a large way due to the fact that this one program and subsequent event encompasses ALL of the building blocks of the new Sportable brand.

On any Saturday morning at 730a at Sports Backers Stadium, you will find a group of dedicated athletes , supported by some of the best volunteers, who have set a goal and are working as a TEAM to achieve that goal.  There are many personal stories circling that track–one of our juniors basketball players who is training to not only race in the Ukrops Monument 10k but, 13.1 miles at Shamrock Half Marathon with his mom and sisters.  How amazing to see him realize his potential, speeding around that track with his sisters ( avid runners themselves) doing their best to keep up.  Not to mention how cool it is for Mom and Dad to witness their 3 children “playing” together!!

On day 1 of our training there was a lot of uncertainty around how well the team would do.  Many of our athletes had not trained previously in a racing chair or with a prosthetic running leg  and we  ( as staff) even wondered if the equipment we had would work for everyone’s varying needs.  It was soon apparent that this opportunity would work, because it was just that–an opportunity some of them had never had before.  There was a need and we were able to fill it and do so in a way that was by definition reducing the social isolation that too often people with physical disabilities face in sports environments. This group of athletes very soon became a TEAM–supporting each other with each lap and each athlete and volunteer can be certain of the importance of their role.

To close, on “Race Day”, a portion of the Sportable team will be part of the 1st official Wheelchair Division in the Ukrops Monument 10k–”Wave AA”!! We will also have a slew of orange shirts in support of our sole amputee runner…the “Godmother” of the program in many respects.  I am certain that as a result of this one event–we will capture the attention of the Greater Richmond community and the 42k participants… laying the ground work for the physical and attitudinal change that is so needed in our community!!

GO TEAM SPORTABLE!!!

Now, this may not seem very monumental for most of us who have an abundance of opportunities to take part in the training teams, running clubs, etc. that our city is so well known for ( mostly thanks to the great mission of our friends at Sports Backers) but, for athletes with disabilities…the idea of registering for this race or any other is a bit daunting. How will I train, what equipment do I need, where do I park, who will I run with??? By creating this opportunity to train with a team, on a track, with specialized equipment and coaches–Sportable athletes will be making history this year!! For the first time ever, Ukrops Monument Ave 10k will have an official wheelchair division and we will have a team of five wheelchair racers competing!!

There are also personal stories behind this one major success story–and this experience is sure to transform the lives of all our athletes participating. One of our athletes is doing the unthinkable -less that two years outside of the loss of her leg. She has the passion and inspires us all,there to support each member of the team after her training run is done. There is something to be said for crossing that finish line, whether on a prosthetic leg, racing chair…”Running is a metaphor for life–you get out of it what you put into it!” and our athletes are surely putting in their heart and sould each Saturday morning–rain, snow, or shine.

And who better to join the Sportable team to help us in “creating opportunities and transforming lives” than Karin Korb, two time Paralympian, whose personal motto is “Live to train. Train to live”. She comes to us with more than just 20 years of experience in the field of adaptive sports ( Masters in Sports Management as well as PR/Marketing) AND a true passion for the work we do. She brings with her great energy and a positive outlook on life– and we couldn’t be more happy to have her on board as we bring our new brand to life!!

Now, I have to admit that I took my laptop with me. Not because I thought the games would not be worthwhile to watch but just because I figured there would be some down time–between games, etc… we all know that basketball is such an all or nothing sport so, with a very long to do list of grants and such– I planned to get a little a head of the game ( no pun intended).

Needless to say– I did not work on my laptop at all!! Imagine my surprise– a sentiment that I think the Charlotte Bobcats shared with me. A little different than our first run at Bridge II Sports Hog Wild Tournament- the Spokes basically tied for 1st place in the tournament–against one of the best teams in our Region. I don’t know who was more surprised our players or theirs when we won our 1st game against them– we lost to them in the final by ONE POINT!!

That transformation that took place on that court this weekend was not without hard work–these boys have been working hard to improve their game and many have set individual goals- to play wheelchair basketball in college, do a half marathon in a racing chair–you name it…they are shooting for it!

This is what Sportable is about–Creating opportunities. Transforming lives. Sports participation is a proven catalyst for leading a healthy, active lifestyle– something that EVERYONE should have access to.

Straight from their Coach-Matthew Deans:

My day job is a counselor for people with disabilities and often I wonder how much of an effect I have on people’s lives when I only get to see them maybe once a week or once a month. As a counselor my passion is to help people, as a coach for Sportable I don’t have to question my impact on both how much I help these kids focus their physical skills and abilities and improve their everyday lives, but also helping them understand the opportunities that Sportable presents to them is something they never knew was possible before Sportable. They always wondered how do you play lacrosse, how do you play basketball, how do you run track? They never had an opportunity until Sportable came along, and that is why I coach and that is why I’m part of Sportable.

GO SPOKES– WE ARE SO PROUD OF EACH ONE OF YOU!!

As I think about the early days, I recall meetings with some of our Sportable “founders”- Steve Fetrow and Shawn Floyd at a local Barnes and Noble. It certainly has taken a TEAM to bring to life a much needed program/service to the community of individuals living with a physical disability. I emphasize LIVING fully because to me, without OPPORTUNITIES to experience the physical, social, and emotional benefits of leading an active lifestyle—how can anyone fully live. So many of us take for granted signing our kids up for soccer or lacrosse teams, taking a spin class at the gym, or even riding bikes round our neighborhoods with our kids. For this population, Sportable exists to provide ALL those opportunities. We are a community of ATHLETES!!

Now what happens out on the tennis courts or in the pool is really what keeps the Sportable Staff, Board, and Volunteers going— a TRANSFORMATION in our athletes who overcome challenges, set personal goals and achieve them! For me to see the joy of one of our athletes Rock-climbing 30 ft. in the air…free of her wheelchair, free of stereotypes, and a BIG smile on her face—that is what gets me out of bed every morning, excited to take on what each day may bring.

So, as we launch our NEW LOOK we hope you all share in our excitement. This re-branding process allowed us to re-discover who we are and where we want to go in the future. Aiming high—just like we ask of our athletes—with a goal of increasing our number of athletes by 100% in 2012!! We have heard what our “founding athletes” have said and launched new programs like Wheelchair Lacrosse and Para Triathlon Training—oh, and a Training for the 10k set to start at the end of this month!!

Our website now reflects the dynamic nature of what we do and the inspiring stories of our athletes. We have also made it easy to not only stay informed about program happenings and special events but enhanced our online registration system—allowing you to pay by credit card and instituting a Member ID card with discount code for our athletes. We hope that you all will join us this weekend (Fri 4-7p and Sat 11-4p) as we kick off the new brand at our Registration Expo. We have arranged for sports demos for the first timers, disability resources for athletes and parents, as well as FREE GEAR bags for all our athletes that come and take advantage of registering and completing annual paperwork.

A special thanks to our friends at Mediapond, who helped bring this to life—Bob & Karen Kelley, Andy, Derek and Thomas …we could not have done it without you!!!