ABLE Youth uses sports as a catalyst to motivate children ages 3-22 who use wheelchairs to become independent in life. The cornerstone of ABLE Youth are monthly Super Sports Saturdays where kids participate in a variety of activities to strengthen their independence skills, like chair mobility, transfers, dressing, and following directions, and also their sports skills, with activities like tennis, basketball, and rugby. As the children show more signs of independence, they are invited to participate in more sports related activities, including the Music City Thunder wheelchair basketball team, Thunder cheerleading team, weekly summer tennis lessons, water-skiing, bowling, and the Country Music Marathon. Older children have the opportunity in the summer to participate in Independence Camp, a sleep-away experience for the children to practice independence skills on their own for consecutive days. ABLE Youth now has successful high school and college graduates furthering their education and employed in the workforce. Through the skills learned in ABLE Youth, they are able to live independently, know how to remain physically fit, and are both proud of who they are and believe in their successful future.
