Programs
Paralympic Sport New York City
Teens and young adults, register
now for this three-week Paralympic track & field program!
Adaptive Tennis
Wheelchair tennis is an exciting activity for people with mobility limitations. Wheelchair tennis has similar rules as able-bodied tennis except for the wheelchair and a two-bounce rule.
Queens: Wheelchair tennis practice is every Sunday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Beginners are asked to come from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. only and should contact Aki Takayama at Takayama@usta.com or (718) 760-6251 before arriving to practice.
Brooklyn: The Prospect Park Tennis Center is open
daily from 7 a.m. – midnight and is fully accessible to people
with disabilities. Through the Special Aces program, the tennis
center now offers group instruction for children with disabilities.
More information on
the Prospect Park Tennis Center
Staten Island: Greenbelt Recreation Center hosts adaptive tennis, open to anyone with a disability, on Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Come learn the different tennis strokes as well as play against others who have similar disabilities. All ages are welcomed.
Watch an It's My Park segment about Wheelchair Tennis.
Keen Program
Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN) is a national, nonprofit volunteer–led organization that provides one–to–one recreational opportunities for children and young adults with mental and physical disabilities at no cost to their families and caregivers. Neither income nor the severity of a child&339;s disability is a barrier to joining a KEEN program. Its mission is to foster the self–esteem, confidence, skills, and talents of its athletes through non–competitive activities, allowing young people facing even the most significant challenges to meet their individual goals. KEEN New York programs take place at Recreation Center 54 in Manhattan.
Download the 2009 Summer/Fall Session Calendar [PDF, 109 KB]
Thank you to all the wonderful athletes and
enthusiastic volunteers for making our first session such a blast.
Special thanks to Victor Calise and the New York Parks and Recreation
Department for helping bring KEEN to Manhattan.
More information
on Keen Program
Free Aquatics Instruction
Bethesda Aquatics, in partnership with Parks & Recreation's
Citywide Aquatics Division, offers aquatics instruction to children
and adults of all ages at five Parks pool locations.
More
information on Aquatics
Wheelchair Football
Wheelchair Football practices will be Monday nights (April through
August) at the the first Wheelchair Football Field in New York State.
The new field will be used for practices and games, with plans to
host a tournament.
More
information on Wheelchair Football
Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair Basketball practice is Monday nights from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Roy Wilkins Recreation Center in Queens and Recreation 54 in Manhattan (October-February); Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 7:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. at Al Oerter Recreation Center in Queens. These are open to children and adults with physical disabilities. For more information on wheelchair basketball, you can visit the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.
Wheelchair Softball
Wheelchair Softball practices are held Tuesdays (May through August)
from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at
Bulova Park in Queens. Open to children and all people with
disabilities.
More information on Wheelchair Softball
wheelchair softball instructional video
Power Soccer
What is Power Soccer and Who can play, check out
Power
Soccer Fact Sheet
Accessible Camping
Friday and Saturday nights in July and August, the Urban Park Rangers
host a free and accessible camping experience for families. Friday
and Saturday nights in July and August, families can join the Urban
Park Rangers for an accessible camping experience at beautiful Alley
Pond Park in Queens.
More
information on Family Camping
Accessible Adventure Course
The Alley Pond Park Adventure Course is a challenge course, also called a ropes course, that features both low ropes and high ropes course activities that promote teambuilding and problem-solving skills. A series of elements, or obstacles, challenge participants to come together and work as a team to develop and implement solutions. Each element emphasizes different group characteristics such as self-confidence, communication, cooperation, trust, and leadership. Elements of the Alley Pond park Adventure Course include a "zip-line," a climbing and bouldering wall, a trust fall station, swings, nets, leaps, and balance platforms.
Visit the Alley Pond Park Adventure Course page for more information.
The Owen Dolen Recreation Center
This recreation center provides field trips for disabled children, ages 7-21, on Saturdays throughout the year. During the month of July, they also offer summer day camp for children. Owen Dolen Recreation Center page
The Graniteville Outreach and Therapeutic Recreation Center
This recreation center provides programs and workshops for all
special needs groups. Programs include crafts and outdoor playground
activities.
Graniteville
Outreach and Therapeutic Recreation Center
It's My Park video segment on
Wheelchair Sports in NYC Parks