Sports and Recreation Program

Adaptive sports and recreation as a form of therapy, connection, and proof of what's still possible.

In 1946, injured veterans returning from World War II were put in a hospital ward in California with nowhere to go and nothing to do. They started playing wheelchair basketball among themselves. That was the beginning of adaptive sports in America, and it was the beginning of PVA.

Become a Member

We don't call this program sports and recreation. We call it therapy - recreational therapy, sports therapy - because we've seen what it does. It empowers members to live their lives to the fullest. It shows people what's possible before they believe it themselves.

How the Sports & Recreation Program Works

You tell us what you want to do. We figure out how to make it happen.

Adaptive Sports & Recreation Grant

Every Colonial PVA member is eligible for up to $1,000 annually to support participation in adaptive sports, fitness programs, recreational activities, and related equipment. One member used his grant to go scuba diving. He said it felt like walking again.

Chapter Clinics and Events

We run regular clinics to introduce members to sports they may not have considered: pickleball, bowling, cornhole, and more. We pair wheelchair users with standing players and let it unfold. It gets competitive fast. Not everyone wants to play a sport, so we introduced arts programming too, like music, painting, and poetry.

National Games and Competitions

Members can participate in the annual Veteran Wheelchair Games, the Winter Sports Clinic, the Valor Games, and the Golden Age Games. Rugby, football, tennis, swimming, hand cycling, weightlifting. There's always something happening somewhere.

If You Can Dream It

Wild boar hunting. Paraplegic skydiving. Drone racing. RC car competitions. Scuba diving. Fishing from accessible boats. We've made all of it happen for members who asked. If you want to do something, we'll find a way.

JOIN US COLONIAL PVA