ABLE Youth

ABLE Youth To reach and teach children in wheelchairs the importance of complete independence, which leads to s

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.

Good luck to all of our athletes competing at the Peachtree Paragames in Atlanta this weekend! They've all put in a lot ...
06/10/2026

Good luck to all of our athletes competing at the Peachtree Paragames in Atlanta this weekend! They've all put in a lot of hard work to get ready for the meet!

06/08/2026

It’s a short but sweet ABLE Youth Spotlights episode this week. Check it out!

At ABLE Youth, we work on wheelchair skills like getting up and down curbs so that eventually, even if they're small cur...
06/05/2026

At ABLE Youth, we work on wheelchair skills like getting up and down curbs so that eventually, even if they're small curbs, everyone can get up and down them themselves and knows the proper technique on the big ones even if they need help. Our YouTube playlist, Doing Life, has our athletes and alumni demonstrating different skills, including curbs. The captions give written instructions and tips for different techniques. The summer is a great time to work on practicing and perfecting these skills. Can you or the wheelchair user in your life get up and down curbs? It's ok to start small! If not, follow this tutorial, and practice. You've got this!

Curbs come in many sizes, but the general technique is conceptually...

It's Global Running Day! Did you know that according to our friends at Achilles International and Achilles Internationa...
06/03/2026

It's Global Running Day! Did you know that according to our friends at Achilles International and Achilles International - Nashville, running includes any mode of getting from Point A to Point B, including using a wheelchair or handcycle and that Runner's World magazine often includes wheelchair athletes? All of us ARE runners! Happy Global Running Day! Here are some of our favorite running memories.

06/01/2026

What’s new at ABLE Youth? Check out this week’s episode of ABLE Youth Spotlights, our weekly update in less than 90 seconds.

On this last day of National Tennis Month, we are throwing it back. Wheelchair tennis was the sport that ABLE Youth was ...
05/31/2026

On this last day of National Tennis Month, we are throwing it back. Wheelchair tennis was the sport that ABLE Youth was founded on, thanks to our founder, former internationally ranked wheelchair tennis player, Rick Slaughter. What ABLE Youth is today is because there was wheelchair tennis first. And wheelchair tennis still going strong and growing at ABLE Youth, too. We have some new wheelchair tennis initiatives coming soon!

ABLE Youth alum, Jimmy Ross, whose current team, the Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks, just won the National Wheelchair Baske...
05/30/2026

ABLE Youth alum, Jimmy Ross, whose current team, the Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks, just won the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Division 1 National Championships, owns 4th Quarter Fitness, which held their first official wheelchair basketball Summer Training Group Session today! This is just the beginning of what will be a great opportunity for athletes to raise their level of play on the court.

The group is still accepting athletes! If there are any other ballers in the area who would like to join this summer, reach out to [email protected] for more information.

05/30/2026

Our kids have been loving wheelchair fencing! There’s room left in the class for more to join.

Another season of Catalyst Sports partnership with Great Smoky Mountains National Park has begun, and there are two ada...
05/29/2026

Another season of Catalyst Sports partnership with Great Smoky Mountains National Park has begun, and there are two adaptive hikes in June. Night Hike on the Little River Trail is June 5th, and Hike on the Oconaluftee River Trail is June 20th. Both are led by a park ranger and provide an inclusive and accessible environment. During these programs, adaptive equipment is welcome, and volunteers will be available to assist with navigating the trail. Limited GRIT Freedom Chairs will be available to borrow. Go to https://www.catalystsports.org/gsmnp-programs to find out more and to register.

05/28/2026

If you’re looking for a local 5K in June that supports a great cause in the disability community, we recommend Retrieving On The Ridge, supporting Retrieving Independence, which trains service dogs for people with disabilities. Here is the registration. 

Address

Nashville, TN

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when ABLE Youth posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category