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We offer programs and services for children, teens, and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. We also offer programs for service members (active duty and veteran) who have been severely wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. All programs are free to qualified participants. Below is a brief overview of our programs:
Higher Ground (Wounded Warrior Veterans Program)
In partnership with the Department of Defense, major military medical centers and veterans service organizations, Higher Ground serves men and women of the armed forces who have been severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. The types of injuries SVAS specializes in include traumatic brain injuries, blindness, visual impairment, PTSD, spinal cord, amputations and severe burns.
The purpose of Higher Ground is to use sports and recreational activities as a means of healing, therapy and rehabilitation. The program offers four winter snowsports camps, one watersports camp, and two fly-fishing camps to more than 80 warriors and their significant others each year. Some of the more popular activities include alpine skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing, sled hockey, snowshoeing, ice skating, fly fishing, water skiing, wakeboarding, kayaking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, canoeing, hiking and paragliding.
The goal is to build physical skills and confidence as well as to provide a fun, healthy and meaningful experience so warriors can more easily transition into new lives in their home communities. Camps, which last five to six days, are small, usually six or seven couples. In addition, one couple from the previous years camp is invited to return as mentors. Camps are 100 percent free for both the warrior and their spouse.
The small group setting creates a comfortable culture and friendly atmosphere to facilitate conversation and peer-to-peer bonding. Warriors open up and share their struggles and frustrations while spouses share their challenges about health care, parenting and their new roles as caregivers. Warriors leave the camps with a restored sense of independence, a renewed athletic spirit, a desire to improve work and school performance, a desire to improve family relationships, an increased ability to cope with combat related stress and a new set of friends.
To ensure the experience and therapy is sustainable, we connect warriors to sports and recreation organizations in their hometowns once they return. Our therapists also make regular follow-up calls, conduct assessments and provide on-going support and encouragement.
Dreams Come True
Dreams Come True (DCT) is a tailored program that provides customized, one-on-one instruction to help people achieve a specific sports or recreational goal or objective. The program is especially helpful for those with traumatic brain injury or post traumatic stress disorder who might not feel comfortable in a group setting. Each DCT experience begins by talking and surveying each participant. We ask them about their goals and objectives. We ask them about their dreams and aspirations. We discover what sports, recreational, or artistic activities they want to learn or do. We then engage the resources of Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, volunteers, businesses, professionals, and the community to make their dreams come true—no matter what it takes! (more...)
(Aaron Coates)
(Grant Swindle)
(Lia Haile)
(Matt Houston)
(Luke Wilson)
(Andy Vo)
(Chris Glen)
Fresh Tracks (Winter Snowsports)
In partnership with the Sun Valley Company, Pete Lane’s Mountain Sports and Sturtevants Mountain Outfitters, Fresh Tracks serves students and adults with all types of disabilities interested in skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating. The purpose of Fresh Tracks is to provide one-on-one instruction to increase a participant’s ability to a level where he or she can enjoy snowsport activities at or near the same level as his or her able-bodied peers.
Fresh Tracks serves children, teens and adults with physical, cognitive, behavior and learning disabilities. Last winter, 22 students from the nearby oncology camp, Camp Rainbow Gold participated in Fresh Tracks. Overall, Fresh Tracks had some 150 participants. The goal this winter is to increase the number of adaptive instructors by 20 percent to accommodate the number of people with disabilities who come to the mountain.
PACK - Summer Day Camp
In partnership with Sagebrush Arena, Ketchum Parks and Recreation Department, Environmental Resource Center (ERC), Mountain Adventure Tours, the YMCA and many others, PACK consists of three summer day camps that can serve 46 local children and teens with physical and cognitive disabilities. Nine summer staff and a dozen volunteers provide sports and recreational activities so participants can enjoy summer activities without having to travel to camps outside the county.
This free camp provides opportunities for families, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it, to send their child to an all day, multi-week camp. PACK runs five days a week, six hours a day, for eight weeks.
Campers learn rock climbing, tennis, swimming, ice skating, biking, rafting, camping, and much more. The camp takes regular excursions outside the area to such places as the Shoshone Ice Caves, Redfish Lake, Craters of the Moon and the Faulkner Planetarium at the College of Southern Idaho. As well, PACK hosts activities that include interaction with able-bodied peers. The goal for this summer is to provide therapeutic intervention to improve the developmental milestones of the children.
Special Olympics
SVAS Special Olympics program serves 13 children, teens and adults. The purpose of this program is to empower local athletes with cognitive disabilities to become healthy, productive and respected members of the community through sports training and competition. Athletes train hard. In the process, they increase their self-confidence, physical fitness, group interaction and teamwork skills. Most of all they have fun!
Athletes train regularly in bowling, swimming, alpine skiing and Nordic skiing. This past season, at a regional final, the SVAS Special Olympic bowling team brought home three 1st place ribbons, two 2nd place ribbons, four 3rd place ribbons and one 4th place ribbon. At a state competition, the alpine team won five 1st place ribbons, three 2nd place ribbons and one 4th place ribbon. Great job team!
Our Special Olympics programming also helps participants develop self-confidence and independence by combining new skills with social growth and cultural activities. Activities include movies, dinner outings, theatre performances, concerts, game nights and much more. The goal for this coming year is to launch a swimming program and to involve more athletes and coaches. Sign-up and enjoy the fun!
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