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NCAA/USOPC Para-College Inclusion Project

Start A Program

Starting a New Program on Campus

  • A woman in an Illinois number 25 tanktop baskeball jersey holds a ball sitting in a wheelchair

    Starting a New Program on Campus

    Are you a college student-athlete, administrator or coach looking to start a new Para sport program on campus? There are many ways to start a college program - this page is designed to share ideas on where and how to get started.

Being a collegiate student-athlete has been an all-encompassing responsibility and transformative experience that I am forever grateful for. It has required me to give every part of myself to the process, but who I have become as a result has been worth every ounce of sacrifice. I know that the memories I've made, relationships I've developed, and opportunities that I have been given during my time at the University of Illinois will make up some of the most meaningful of my life.

Morgan McCammon | Basketball

  • Step 1: Review the checklist

    This checklist provides five steps to consider as you explore starting a program. It includes information on identifying the current adaptive footprint on your campus and in your local community, where a Para program could be housed on campus and who to contact to learn more. The NCAA does not govern eligibility, recruiting and sport rules, but rather each sport-specific governing body.

    Checklist PDF, opens in a new tab

  • Step 2: Understand the finances

    Funding is essential to launching a college Para sport program. Costs can range from renting a field or court, program marketing, equipment, uniforms, travel and more. Program costs vary based on a number of factors; to talk with a college financial expert, please contact Brent Hardin (University of Alabama) at bhardin@ua.edu, Ryan Martin (City University of New York) at Ryan.Martin@cuny.edu, or Dr. Okanlami (University of Michigan) at okanlami@umich.edu.

    Funding for an adaptive program oftentimes comes from one or more of the below categories:

    • School Funding
      • On-campus departments like physical education, kinesiology or exercise science may have grant or donation funding available to kickstart a Para sport program, particularly if it may produce internship opportunities for students or boost enrollment numbers at the school.
      • Disability/Accessibility resource centers may have funds set aside for community programming or athletics.
      • Recreational sports may also have grant or funding opportunities to help with start-up costs for new programs.
    • Fundraising
      • Alumni or donors to the university may be interested in sponsoring Para sport. Work with an alumni engagement administrator or development office on campus to learn more.
      • Varsity college sport teams may be interested in co-fundraising with a Para team of the same sport; consider reaching out to your counterpart within intercollegiate athletics to further explore.
      • Local restaurants may offer discount programs to students as fundraisers.
      • Local businesses with connections to the disability, diversity and/or sport world may be willing to sponsor events or fundraisers.
      • Consider starting a GoFundMe or other fundraiser for your club to raise funds through social media channels.
    • Grants
      • Request a grant from organizations supporting Para sport such as Move United, Athletes Helping Athletes, and the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Learn more about these organizations and others here.
      • Explore grants from local charitable organizations or hospitals.
    • Streamlining Costs
      • Explore renting equipment from a nonprofit organization here, or from a local community organization focused on adaptive sport.
      • Consider using existing facilities on campus that may already offer the space and some equipment necessary for the sport.

  • Step 3: Fielding your team

    To field a team, you need to recruit student-athletes, find a coach and start scheduling practices.

    Strategies for recruiting athletes include:

    • Finding student-athletes on campus:
      • Cross-training student-athletes who are currently competing in other adaptive or Para sports.
      • Consider looking for integrative Para sport programs, where disabled and non-disabled student-athletes compete together.
      • The Office of Disability/Accessibility Services or a Disability/Accessibility Resource Center may help connect students with disabilities to find those who are interested in participating in sport.
      • Host a table at a student organization day, campus-wide event or inclusive recreation expo.
    • Finding athletes off campus:
      • Connect with local high school coaches to learn of any Para sport student-athletes currently competing at the high school level.
      • Explore community adaptive sport clubs or programs – for example, find a Move United club near you here.
      • Connect with a local community college that may have interested student-athletes.
      • Host a kick-off or awareness event to meet local community members who currently participate in adaptive athletics (tournament, social, etc.).

    Strategies for recruiting coaches include:

    • Connect with the varsity program on campus to determine if a volunteer coach or student-athlete may be interested in coaching a Para team of the same sport.
    • Local high schools, sport leagues, sport equipment shops, or other community programs off campus may know of people interested in coaching a college team.
    • Contact your sport NGB listed on this checklist – they may have coaches in the area and will know how to get new coaches trained in that sport.

    Scheduling practices: Experience shows that with an early-stage team, holding practice more than twice per week can be overwhelming. Start slowly and build to two days per week when it makes sense for the size of the team. Once the team is fully up-and-running, the practice days can increase.

    Scheduling competitions: Once you have a team that is ready to compete, look to schedule competitions with Para sport programs in your area. This could include other college programs or community events open to all ages.

Seven women in basketball uniforms play wheelchair basketball on a court in Dallas

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

    Learn More

  • NCAA Office of Inclusion

    Learn More, opens in a new tab

  • Want to Play College Sports?

    Learn more, opens in a new tab

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.