The Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp at UCSB provides sports and recreation skills development for children, youth and young adults from ages 6 to 21 who can use a wheelchair to participate in activities
The 2022 Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp returns in person from Monday through July 15 at the UCSB Recreation Center after a two-year pause.
The annual camp provides sports and recreation skills development for children, youth and young adults from ages 6 to 21 who can use a wheelchair to participate in activities. A new young adult group has recently been added for athletes up to 21 years old.
Funding from the Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation enables all campers to attend the camp for the entire week at no cost.
Camp activities range from beginner to advanced wheelchair sports and recreation activities, including rugby, basketball, tennis, hand cycling, swimming, SCUBA diving, racquetball, power soccer, climbing wall, ropes course, dodgeball, obstacle course, baseball, dance and pickleball.
Counselors and instructors are wheelchair users themselves, so they become natural mentors to the campers on how to stay healthy and active while living with a disability.
The Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp was founded in 1986 and is the only camp of its kind on the Central Coast. It attracts campers from the tri-counties and beyond, including Los Angeles and Bakersfield, and even Oregon. Transportation for campers is provided free of charge from Oxnard, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Carpinteria and Santa Barbara.
Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital and Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation sponsor the camp with support from individuals, organizations, and businesses in the community. The camp is led by director Rene Van Hoorn, recreation therapist at Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital.
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
FYI
For more information, visit www.cottagehealth.org/wheelchaircamp.
