From wheelchair basketball to blind soccer, the multi-sport day on Saturday in Ventura is open to kids, adults and veterans with disabilities.
Clayton Frech, the CEO and Founder of Angel City Sports, who are organizing the event, says it’s open to people of all ages and skill levels.
"If you live with a physical disability, you're often the only kid at your school or the only person in a chair at your place of work, so it can feel pretty lonely out there or pretty isolated," he told KCLU. "This is really about bringing the community together and all about that feeling of belonging."
The special event is the first of its kind in Ventura for ACS and will be open to kids, adults, and veterans with physical disabilities or visual impairments.
Launched in 2015, the Angel City Games, presented by The Hartford, is one of the largest multisport adaptive competitions in the U.S. and a celebration of adaptive and Paralympic sports featuring inclusive competition open to athletes of all skill levels who have physical or visual impairments.
The 2021 Angel City Games presented by The Hartford were back to being in-person after the 2020 Games were virtual.
Saturday's multi-sport day will feature various basketball skills and drills led by experienced coaches from the Angel City Sports Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Program.
Participants may bring their own sports chair or use one from Angel City Sports, and the event is open to people of all ages and skill levels, from beginner to advanced.
The day will also include Blind Soccer and Adaptive Strength.
With Los Angeles as the host nation for the 2028 Paralympic Games, the United States Association of Blind Athletes will debut the first Team USA Blind Soccer team and will be working to train and grow potential athletes and coaches in Southern California.
The Adaptive Strength program will include powerlifting, strongman, and functional strength exercises, which will be led by The Training Hall (ACS’ certified Para-powerlifting gym) and its founder, Odd Haugan.
It takes place on Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Ventura Family YMCA (3760 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA).
Participants can RSVP here.
