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Wilmington presentation highlights growth of adaptive sports and regional draw
Summary
At an April 15 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting, staff and a UNCW professor described an expanding suite of adaptive-sports programs, grant-funded equipment purchases and growing regional participation that has turned Wilmington into a hub for wheelchair basketball, rugby and other events.
WILMINGTON, N.C. — City staff and a University of North Carolina Wilmington professor told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on April 15 that adaptive-sports offerings at the MLK Center and other city facilities have grown substantially and now draw players from across the region.
Mr. Moral Fox, the recreation supervisor for athletics, described new collaborations with UNCW and local nonprofits that he said have helped the city expand programs and host larger events. "We're going to talk a little bit about our adapted sports and what we've been doing ... and how it's evolved and changed," Fox told the board.
Dr. Brent Hawkins, a professor in UNCW's recreation-therapy program, said the programs operate on an "it takes a village" model of shared facilities and volunteers. "Local municipalities tend to not support things like this," Hawkins said. "That's not happening here in Wilmington. Like we frequently share ... and I think that's contagious."
Presenters listed wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair tennis and a pilot wheelchair-softball program among current offerings. Fox said a recent grant paid for a set of loaner chairs and maintenance equipment; the city now has "12 to 14" chairs available and a shipping container to store equipment. "With the grant, we got pumps, we got tools to fix them all," Fox said.
Board members and presenters repeatedly stressed the programs' regional reach. Fox estimated that roughly "half" of participants travel from outside Wilmington; for wheelchair rugby he said it is closer to "95%." Participants come from nearby cities such as Jacksonville and Myrtle Beach, and speakers said Wilmington has hosted teams from Columbia, Raleigh and Charlotte. Presenters also noted that the U.S. wheelchair-rugby team will travel to Australia in October for competition.
Organizers discussed retention and access challenges: specialized equipment is costly, recruiting enough players for team sports can be difficult, and facility space is limited. The MLK Center's new gym was repeatedly described as a critical upgrade that enabled hosting larger practices and tournaments, though presenters said even that space is "not quite large enough" for some needs.
The board heard that a wheelchair-softball program will restart in July and that a wheelchair-football clinic is planned at the MLK Center in the coming weeks. Volunteers and student interns from UNCW provide essential support; Hawkins said students gain hands-on experience in recreation therapy while helping run events.
The board closed the presentation by thanking Fox and Hawkins for their work and for increasing the visibility of adapted sports in Wilmington. The advisory board approved routine minutes and continued with other agenda items before adjourning at about 6:25 p.m.
