By Tom Scott and Celina De León
United Spinal Association Yankees Assist in Teaching Softball Skills to Youngsters with Disabilities for Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation
Future Derek Jeters on wheels? Some, perhaps, but all of these New York City kids will surely be healthier after participating in a program the United Spinal Yankees wheelchair softball team conducted with financial support from Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.
Members of the United Spinal Association Yankees wheelchair softball team in conjunction with the City of New York Parks & Recreation ran a wheelchair softball clinic for kids ages 8-18 with Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation. It was hosted at Victory Field in Forest Park, Queens, New York on June 2, 2007.
The clinic was part of Turn 2 Foundation’s New York City Baseball Clinics, and United Spinal was honored to assist younger members with spinal cord injuries and disorders to learn wheelchair softball basics.
The mission of Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation is to create and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and “Turn 2″ healthy lifestyles. The Foundation strives to create outlets that promote and reward academic excellence, leadership development, and positive behavior. Turn 2′s goal is to see the children of these programs grow safely and successfully into adulthood and become the leaders of tomorrow. For more information, please visit www.derekjeter.com or www.turn2foundation.org.
“United Spinal hopes this first collaboration with Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation will be the first of many such events,” said Bill Hannigan, United Spinal director of Sports and Recreation. “Sports help kids with disabilities and without disabilities build self-esteem and confidence, and teach them to relate appropriately with their peers.”
Carvel Foundation Awards United Spinal Association Grant for Kids Adaptive Sports Clinics
For the second consecutive year, United Spinal Association has been awarded a Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation grant to support its Sports and Recreation Department’s Adaptive Sports Clinics for Kids with Disabilities. The grant will be used to implement and coordinate
nine Kids Adaptive Sport Clinics in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for youth with disabilities under the age of 18, and to fund some associated equipment costs.
“The Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation has graciously provided much needed support to help United Spinal expand its children’s adaptive sports clinics throughout the tri-state region,” said Paul J. Tobin, United Spinal’s President and CEO. “With Carvel’s assistance, we will introduce wheelchair basketball, softball, tennis, sled hockey and handcycling to 400 youngsters who might not otherwise have had an opportunity to participate. These youngsters will, in turn, gain the ancillary benefits of self-esteem, confidence and friendships that participating in sports can provide.”
United Spinal has hosted sports clinics for more than a decade and believes that the physical and emotional health of our nation’s 6 million children with disabilities is at risk because of insufficient opportunities to exercise and take part in competitive sports. Adaptive sports clinics
provide these children much needed catalysts for accomplishing important goals such as confidence building, the development of social skills, interaction with positive role models, and understanding the importance of teamwork.
United Spinal’s adaptive sports clinics are held at public schools and other locations where experienced wheelchair athletes demonstrate how wheelchair sports are played. These clinics are carried out through partnerships with the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Adaptive Physical Education; Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside, NJ; Robert Wood Johnson in Edison, NJ; Blythedale Hospital for Children in Valhalla, NY; Yale Hospital in Yale New Haven Medical Center in New Haven.
Jana Hunsaker Tournament Results
June 7 to 10, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in
Flushing Meadows, Corona Park-Flushing, New York
Open Singles Champion: Stephane Goudou
Open Singles Finalist: Francois Xavier Morille
Open Consolation Winner: Mauricio Pomme
Open Doubles Champion: Sebastien Husser/Francois Xavier Morille
Open Doubles Finalists: Takahiro Hirate/Hidekazu Nakano
A Singles Champion: Kevin Green
A Singles Finalist: Anthony Seijo (did not play finals)
A Consolation winner: Carlos Turic
A Doubles Champion: William Eno/Mark Jenkinson
A Doubles Finalists: Jongchul Sah/Thomas Kyler
B Singles Champion: Thomas Kyler
B Singles Finalist: Jongchul Sah
B Consolation winner: Lesly St Louis
B Doubles Winners: Angelo Cardinale/Cristobal Rivera
B Doubles Finalists: David Gant/Pani Herath
C Singles Champion: David Kelly
C Singles Finalist: Ryan Neiswender
C Consolation winner: Dan Schleifman
C Doubles Winners: Ryan Neiswender/Sunil Patel
C Doubles Finalists: David Kelly/Henry Hasson
Tom Scott is staff editor. Celina De León
works in Public Affairs.
