Sportsline

President's POV

The annual meeting of the Mesa Association of Sports for the Disabled will be held on Wednesday, November 4 at 7:00 PM in the Grand Canyon Suites of the MPS Student Services Center, 1025 North Country Club Drive in Mesa.

I would like to invite and encourage all friends of MASD, athletes, parents, volunteers, and interested community members to attend this meeting as we recap MASD's activities and accomplishments of the past year. We would also like to present the financial statuse of MASD as well as set new directions for the new program year.

1998 was an excellent year of growth for MASD. In order to continue this growth and to provide exceptional programs, we need to expand the scope of the organization. In a word, we need YOU to get involved.

I hope you'll join us for this important meeting to learn more about MASD and how you can become involved.For more information, call Sue Lilly at 472-0711.

New voice mail number for MASD

• Option #1 For questions regarding the status of daily practice in the case of bad weather. This information will be updated by 5:30 PM on the days when weather is threatening. If you're wondering what the status is on practice, give the hotline a call!
• Option # 2 For information on upcoming events for the Association, including practice and competition schedules.
• Option #3 For information on volunteering and other ways to support the Association.
• Option #4 For prospective athletes and volunteers to leave their names and addresses to be placed on the mailing list or to be contacted. Parents and community members can also use this option to ask questions or leave messages for MASD personnel.

This number will be up and running on October 16.

AYSO & MASD bring soccer into the mainstream

The Mesa Association of Sports for the Disabled and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) are working together to bring mentally disabled youngsters into the soccer mainstream. The Red Mountain region of AYSO has a program called Very Important Player (VIP) for mentally disabled athletes wishing to participate in their soccer programs. Several of our MASD athletes have taken advantage of this program and are playing both AYSO and Special Olympic soccer. We are also discussing plans to develop unified soccer teams for competition next year. Unified Sports is a program developed by Special Olympics International which combines mentally disabled athletes with non-disabled athletes on the same team. Each team practices and competes together throughout the season, thereby developing close bonds between the players.

Power up for power soccer!

Power soccer is a new sport to the Mesa Association of Sports for the Disabled, but it is not a new sport to the students who graduated from the PH (Physically Handicapped) programs at Mesa High and Mesa Junior High. We've been playing power soccer in our Adapted Physical Education classes since 1982! Power soccer is designed for athletes who use electric wheelchairs - manual wheelchairs are not allowed! Athletes use special foot guards, which are attached to the footrests on their wheelchairs, to protect their feet and to prevent the ball from going under the chair. The teams field three players and a goalie and uses a 24-inch diameter ball. The object of the game is to use the power wheelchairs to manuver the ball down the court and score a goal. No hands, legs or other body parts can be used!

Athletes need to be completely independent in their electric wheelchairs when moving both forward and backward to compete in power soccer. For more information, call Gregg Baumgarten at 472-0638.

The first power soccer practice will be Saturday, October 17 at Lowell Elementary School, 920 E. Broadway in Mesa from 12:30 to 2:00 PM. Registration will take place at the first practice.

Fall Round-Up a huge success

Our annual fundraiser, the Fall Round-Up was held on Saturday, October 3 at the Confederate Air Force Museum at Falcon Field in Mesa. Over 400 supporters dined and danced in the open hangar while others chatted under the stars on the tarmac.

Hundreds of dollars in door prizes were given out to attendees, including the grand prize of round-trip airfare for two anywhere in the continental U.S. donated by United Airlines. Participants in the silent auction bid on all types of sports memorabilia from the Diamondbacks, Suns, Coyotes, Cardinals and many other professional sports teams. In addition, items like a 20- minute flight in a P-51 Mustang, round-trip airfare donated by America West Airlines, and a 30-minute ride in a Mesa Fire Truck were also auctioned.

Many thanks to the trail bosses for the 1998 Fall Round-Up, John Ginty and Frank Duranti, for the incredible job they did in setting up this fundraiser. Another big thank-you goes out to all the MASD Board Members and volunteers who helped make this event such a huge success!

If you know people who work for or belong to these companies and organizations, take a moment to thank them for their support of the Association. Without their financial support, the Association couldn't do the great work it does!

• Mesa Hohokams
• Target Stores of Mesa
• J.B. Rodgers Mechanical Contractors
• J.F.K. Electrical
• Olin MicroElectronic Materials
• Skyline Fire & Communications
• Devcon Enterprises-General Contractors
• Pulte Homes
• Mesa Verde Concrete

Figure Skating for athletes with disabilities

A figure skating program designed specifically for athletes with disabilities has started in the East Valley. The program will be run as part of the Learn to Skate program at the Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe and will follow the curriculum set up by Special Olympics International and the United States Figure Skating Association. The program is six weeks long. The $65 enrollment fee includes 30 minutes of instruction weekly, a free pass to practice at all public sessions, free skate rental for all lessons and public sessions, and two free guest passes.

The program is run by Cynthia Elliott and Tammy Jimenez. Many of you know Cynthia Elliott as a Special Education preschool teacher for Mesa Public Schools, but did you know that she is also on the Board of Directors for the Skating Club of Phoenix and has a daughter who has skated at Oceanside for the past 13 years?

Tammy Jimenez has been a figure skater for many years and has earned her Gold Medal from the USFSA. She has also been a volunteer in Special Olympics. For more information on the Learn to Skate program, contact Cynthia at 730-5261 or Tammy at 644-9818.

Fishing Has No Boundaries

A fishing workshop will be held on October 23rd through the 25th at Bartlett Lake northeast of Scottsdale. Fishing Has No Boundaries is a program developed to promote and encourage recreational fishing for individuals who are mentally and/or physically disabled. Instruction will focus on the ins and outs of fishing, including the use of adapted equipment. For more information on this fishing workshop, call David Helphand at 784-4096.

Bowling for Physically Challenged strikes in October

The Physically Challenged bowling program is set to start on Saturday, October 17. This bowling program is designed for athletes with an orthopedic, neurological or sensory impairment. Athletes can use bowling ramps, push sticks, snap-handle bowling balls, or regulation bowling balls when participating. Practices are held every Saturday leading to com-petitions in November in Tucson and December in Mesa.

Hohokams and the Target Stores support MASD

The Mesa Hohokams and Target Stores of Mesa have again supported MASD in a big way in 1998, each giving $10,000 to support our programming. If you know someone who is a Hohokam or works for Target, take a moment to thank them!

The Hohokams are the non-profit organization responsible for bringing the Chicago Cubs to Mesa for spring training.The proceeds from their efforts are used to support sports activities in Mesa, including the Mesa Association of Sports for the Disabled.

The Target Stores annually contribute a percentage of their profits to local charitable organizations as part of their community involvement programs. Many thanks go to our association president, Mike Comin, store manager of the East Mesa Target Store, for his efforts in securing the grant from Target.

We'd also like to thank the Desert Club of Mesa, which donated $3,000 in support of the Desert Challenge Games, the Knights of Columbus, which donated $2,600 in support of Special Olympics, the Gannett Foundation, parent company of Channel 12, which donated $1,000 in support of our Annual Awards Banquet, and the Knights of Pythias, which contributed $750 in support of Cerebral Palsy Sports.

1999 Skiable Weekend scheduled

The Association's SkiAble weekend has been scheduled for January 22nd through the 25th at the Arizona Snow Bowl in Flagstaff. SkiAble weekend is a weekend of instruction, inservice, and fun for physically disabled skiers. Nine adapted ski instructors from the Breckenridge (CO) Outdoor Education Center (BOEC) will bring various types of adapted ski equipment, including mono-skis and bi-skis. In addition, volunteers will assist the instructors, help with on-load and off-load of skiers, and other duties. The cost for skiers is $25 plus their lift ticket. This weekend would not be possible were it not for the generous support of the Arizona Paralyzed Veterans of America chapter and the Arizona Snow Bowl. The PVA has pledged $2,500 to support this event and the Snow Bowl continues its 'Buddy Skier' program, which allows a physically disabled skier to bring a buddy skier to assist them at no cost.

For those of you who are not familiar with the adaptations on ski equipment, many bi-skis can be outfitted with outriggers - skis which extend out to the side. This provides great stability to the bi-ski for almost any skier. We have had skiers in our program with spinal-cord injuries as high as C2-C3. The professionals from BOEC can get just about anyone up on skis!

Special Olympics Cycling starts soon

Special Olympics cycling is a competitive cycling program designed for mentally disabled athletes ages 8 years old and older. Athletes can compete in distances varying from 500 meters to 5,000 meters, and in competition levels from level 1, which is adult tricycles, up to level 3, which is racing bicycles.

Practice starts on Saturday, October 17 at the Mesa High School Driver's Training Course, 1750 E. 8th Avenue in Mesa. Register for cycling on the first day of practice.

Volunteer Coordinator needed

The Mesa Association of Sports for the Disabled is looking for a volunteer coordinator who can assist the Association in locating, screening and assigning volunteers to assist in our various programs. The position is voluntary and can be done from home. Duties would include contacting local volunteer sources, interviewing volunteers over the phone and through questionnaires, and contacting coaches to determine their needs. If you are interested in helping out with this great need, please call Gregg Baumgarten at 472-0638.

Wheelchair Basketball ready to roll

MASD's junior wheelchair basketball team will begin practicing on Saturday, October 17 from 3:00 to 4:30 PM at Lowell Elementary School Gymnasium, 920 East Broadway in Mesa. Lowell Elementary is located between Stapley Drive and Mesa Drive.

Our junior wheelchair basketball team is designed for the wheelchair athlete between the ages of 13 and 18 years of age who can propel their own chair up and down the court and who are interested in having fun! Wheelchair basketball players should be able to catch a basketball when passed to them. Drills and instruction focus on individual skill development, rules and teamwork. Since the closest junior wheelchair basketball team is about 1,000 miles away, we won't get to compete in many games or tournaments. However, we will learn the game and play three on three pick-up games.

Register for wheelchair basketball at our first practice! For more information, call Gregg Baumgarten at 472-0638.

MASD athletes and volunteers in the news

MASD athlete Eddie McGuire wrote an article on mobility equipment that ran in the September 1998 issue of Exceptional Parent magazine. The article is part of a three-part series that will be reprinted and distributed as "A Consumer's Guide to Mobility Products" in 1999. A picture of Eddie competing in the cycling events at the 1997 Desert Challenge Games was featured in the article.

Jacquie Duranti and Mesa Parks and Recreation were featured in a July 1998 article in Exceptional Parent magazine titled, "Anybody Can Make a Difference." Jacquie's Make a Difference program encourages teens to give back to the community through volunteer work, The article included interviews with Phillip and Susan Hill as well as pictures of Phillip, Susan, Beth Rusk, Peggy Kuhse, Kari McCutchen, Lisa Pellak, Jennifer Backhoff, Dawn Nimblett, and Shelly Burns.

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