[gsp23]

I have recently been looking into different sports that I can do and after looking at various association web pages it looks like they do qualifications and classifications for disabled sports. The question I have is do they only do this at an elite level or do they do this for all levels? Really right now I am looking for different sports I can do with my AB friends but was wondering if I decide to get involved in a team type sport would they need to classify me before I could compete? I have read that most require that you have your disability at least 2 years before classifying and I have not had mine for that long so it sounds like I couldnt be classified anyways.

Thanks for any feedback about if this is only done at elite levels or if I can even be tested this soon afterwards.

[AZ_PTA]

The only sport I know about is quad rugby, so I can explain how it is classified. With quad rugby before you can play in a tournament you have to be classified. It doesn't matter with QR how long you have been injured, everyone gets classed, from the newest player to the oldest player. You have to go before a classification panel and they muscle test you, look at what your functional abilities are and so forth. Than you get a point level and thats your classification. Sometimes during a tournament your classification can be challenged, so if a referee thinks that your classificaiton is wrong. You have to be re-classed. You can only be re-classed 3 times before you become a permant level-what ever level they have classed you at. Or you can asked to be re-classed but you only want to do that if you truly think you are a lower level.

What is your level, if I can ask? What sports are specificly looking at? If you let me know, I'll try asking Ash to see what she knows or if she knows anyone who would know. Or I have a friend who would know!! Just thought of him.

[gsp23]

The sports that I was kinda thinking about were Sledge Hockey, Basketball and swimming. I read about certain qualifying criteria on each of the main pages for them and they all talk about certifying athletes so wondering if that is done at all levels or only for the elite levels. I know the swimming page mentioned not certifying until at least 2 years post neurological onset or SCI and you need to be certified to compete, but if thats only for elite levels then I wont worry about it. I live on a lake so I can swim from my dock in the summer months and play hockey right from the shoreline in the winter months for practice and of course get together with others to compete if I wanted to. Putting up a basketball hoop at my house isnt a big deal so I can practice right outside then as well, just need some sports I have easy access to so I can keep myself going. I used to be athletic before when I was AB but now I feel even more desire to do things to keep myself feeling useful.

I have a neurological condition that affects all my limbs but I do have full range of motion from approx waist up, just some weakness and lack of sensation above that point. I can walk with crutches for very short distances which means inside the house and to get out of my truck to pump gas, otherwise I need to use my chair. My ultralight chair is ~20lbs and I can lift it into my truck on my own, takes some effort but I can do it. I am also L2-3 incomplete. Hopefully this gives you an idea of my physical abilities and thanks for any help you can provide.

[AZ_PTA]

Depending on how weak your uppers are you might actually quallify as a high pointer for quad rugby. And the national womens team needs a high pointer on our team, so we can beat the boys!!

Let me see what kind of info I can gather for you. I actually have a good source for the swimming, let me see what I can find out!!

[AZ_PTA]

gsp23, this is what my friend had to say about swimming.
"Swimming she can definitely do competitively. In Canada it's Swimmers With A Disability or SWAD and there they use classifiers to give you a Class. From quads to paras to CP, amputees to blindness or even club foot all is taken into account. How well you can do is dependent on what class you are put in. Since it's usually hard to find a meet where you can compete against others in the same class or a team made up of such individuals the best bet is to talk to a club team. I used to go to the same meets as ambulatory(ABS) individuals and train with them with a different workout schedule. Then for example at the meets I'd swim in the same 50m backstroke heat but I would start in the water, someone held my feet and what was important was my time. Whatever my time was they compared it to the SWAD standard for that class and that was how it was determined if I could go to Nationals. I was swimming competitively a year after injury, I never heard of the two year thing, not even for rugby. They could classify you then ask to reclassify you at a later date, that happens all the time. I can go more in depth if necessary but that's it roughly."

here is a link for finding different swim clubs in MN, I would contact them to see if they would be willing to work with you.
MN swim clubs

Her advice about the sled hockey was to try and google a team near you, here is a site that i scared up in about 5 mins of looking. MN sled hockey

Hopefully this helps in your adventures of getting back into sports!!
If you want more help researching things, just ask. I'm pretty proficient at it, with out tooting my own horn too much

[gsp23]

Thank you very much for the information. I had actually found the MN Sled Hockey just after my last post and have been in contact with them. They are new and just started up this season and invited me to join or at least stop by and watch some practices and/or games. They told me I can practice with them and try out their sleds as well so I am excited to do that. They are about an hour away and since I injured my ribs about a month ago, I'm not yet ready to get out here... but soon.

I will take a look at the link for the MN Swimming I hadnt seen that before. I tried to find some wheelchair basketball in MN but have yet to find some. If you know if any, let me know. Otherwise maybe some of the people in the MN Sled Hockey Association know of some they can tell me about.