Parks & Recreation
Wheelchair Sports
Mission
The mission of the Henry County Wheelchair Sports program is to provide sports programs for youth and adults with physical disabilities that prevent them from competitively playing in traditional sports, to promote and facilitate healthy lifestyles, and to empower people with physical disabilities to become productive members of society. Sport is the catalyst for change!
For information about any of these programs, please contact Harlon Matthews at (770) 288-7293 or (404) 308-2414.
What's Happening
Henry County Wheelchair Sports is excited to offer adaptive sports programs for Henry County school students through the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP), a Georgia-based nonprofit
Youth Sports
Henry County Wheelchair Sports is excited to offer adaptive sports programs for Henry County school students through the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP), a Georgia-based nonprofit organization that builds interscholastic sports leagues for students with physical disabilities or visual impairments in grades one through 12, comparable to programs commonly available only to students without disabilities. The sports offered are:
Wheelchair Handball
Wheelchair Handball kicks off the AAASP sports year in August and runs through November. Wheelchair Handball is a fast–paced game that is easily played by students using either manual or power wheelchairs. The sport is played inside on a basketball court and many of the same skills required for wheelchair basketball are used in wheelchair soccer, such as learning to move, pass, dribble, shoot and pick up the ball. In wheelchair soccer, however, a player may use their hands, feet or the wheelchair to move the ball. AAASP has two divisions of play for its member teams — varsity and junior varsity and placement is based on many factors, such as the teams overall experience, years of play, and functional ability of individual players.
Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair Basketball is one of the most widely recognized sports for athletes with physical disabilities and is available to youth who are able to walk unassisted, with devices, or use manual propelled wheelchairs, all participants must compete in a manual wheelchair. Power wheelchairs are not permitted. This sport is one of three sports offered for all Elementary, Middle and High School Henry County Students who compete against other counties. Wheelchair Basketball is offered January – February, with practice beginning in December. The Henry Hurricanes are excited to have been crowned the 2008 and 2009 JV State Champions
Wheelchair Football
Wheelchair Football is offered for manual and power chair users and is played in a gym with the same team concepts of teamwork, strategy and ball handling skills as traditional football with a few adaptations for wheelchair users such as two hand touch in lieu of tackling. Wheelchair Football is offered March – May, with practice beginning in February.
Each sport season ends with the state Championship, where the best varsity and junior varsity teams from across the state compete for their respective championship titles.
All AAASP practices and Home games are held at:
Locust Grove Recreation Center
10 Cleveland Street
Locust Grove, GA 30248
Adult Sports: Wheelchair Tennis
The Wheelchair Tennis program is available year round. This program runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am – 12:00pm at Richard Craig Park in McDonough. Beginner classes are created throughout the year as needed.
The Henry Havoc – is an adult tennis travel team that competes in national wheelchair tennis tournaments across the USA and are all nationally ranked tennis players in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Wheelchair Division.
Geranium Festival Wheelchair Tennis Tournament
The Geranium Festival wheelchair tennis tournament was added to the Henry County Wheelchair Sports program in 2007. Players of all skill levels from across the USA and internationally attend this very competitive USTA sanctioned tournament. So, in May each year come to Richard Craig Park in McDonough and...“BE READY TO BE AMAZED!”.
HCWS would like to extend a very gracious THANK YOU to the tournament’s presenting sponsor Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association Foundation (ALTA) and to the multiple partners and volunteers that are very instrumental in making the tournament a success.
- 2010 USTA Southern Wheelchair Tennis Tournament of the Year
- 2011 USTA Georgia Wheelchair Tournament of the Year
Combined Sports (Youth & Adult)
Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair Basketball is held every Monday, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, at Locust Gove Rec. Center and is for adults and advanced youth who want to advance their basketball skills. Non-disabled participants who have an interest in wheelchair basketball are invited to participate!
Summer Camp
Each summer the Henry County Adaptive Sports Summer Camp is held at Locust grove Rec. Center for youth and adults. Multiple sports are introduced by certified instructors and Paralympic Athletes. Life skill sessions are included. Camp is integrated with non-disabled campers.
- 2010 Georgia Recreation and Parks Innovative Program Award
Pushing Boundaries
In addition to existing sports programs HCWS strives to create new sporting opportunities to perpetually achieve its mission of promoting physical activity and empowerment. |
