About Para Sport
Starting a New Program on Campus
Para Sport vs Adaptive Sport
Para sport falls under the umbrella of adaptive sport, which is the overarching term for any sport tailored for persons with a disability. Para sport refers specifically to sports and disabilities included in the Paralympic Games.
History of Para Sport
Para sport has a rich history of offering inclusive opportunities for individuals with physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities to engage in athletic pursuits ranging from recreational to elite and international competitions. It wasn't until the after World War II that Para sport gained widespread recognition and adoption. During this period, the primary aim of Para sport was to support the rehabilitation and integration of war veterans and civilians who sustained injuries. In this context, Para sport served as a vital tool for physical and psychological recovery, as well as a means of fostering community and camaraderie among those affected by the war. In 1944, at the request of the British Government, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann opened a spinal injuries center at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, and in time, rehabilitation sport evolved to recreational sport and then to competitive sport. During the Opening Ceremony of the 1948 London Olympic Games, Dr. Guttmann organized the first competition for wheelchair athletes, which he named the Stoke Mandeville Games, a milestone in Paralympic history. In 1952, the International Stoke Mandeville Games were founded.
What is U.S. Paralympics?
U.S. Paralympics, a division of the nonprofit U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic Movement and promoting excellence in the lives of people with disabilities, including physical disabilities and visual impairments.
Since its formation in 2001, U.S. Paralympics has been inspiring Americans to achieve their dreams. Through relationships with hundreds of organizations across the country including National Governing Bodies and adaptive sports organizations, U.S. Paralympics is making a difference in the lives of thousands of people with Paralympic-eligible impairments.
The USOPC is one of only seven organizations in the world to manage both Olympic and Paralympic sport at the national level - and the first to include the distinction in its official name and marks. U.S. Paralympics is responsible for elite sports programming, including sending the U.S. Paralympic Team to the summer and winter Paralympic Games.
Get to know the world of Paralympic classification
Classification is the process of determining who is eligible to compete in Para Sports and establishes framework that promotes fair and meaningful competition by minimizing the impact of eligible impairment types on the outcomes of that competition. The classification system ensures success is determined by skill, power, tactical ability, endurance, fitness and mental focus. Classification occurs at both national and international levels of competition; an athlete that has a designated classification in one sport may have a different classification in another sport, which is why it's important to be educated on the classification process. Additional classification details can be found online - and please contact NPCUSAClassification@usopc.org with specific questions about classification.
For more information...
Visit the USOPC's Paralympic Sport Development website to get connected into Team USA's pipeline and visit the NCAA's Office of Inclusion page to learn more about how the NCAA is supporting athletes with disabilities.
Paralympic Sport Development
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For questions regarding Paralympic sport development, please contact paralympicsport.info@usopc.org. For questions regarding NCAA inclusion, please contact the NCAA Office of Inclusion at inclusion@ncaa.org.