The Athens City-County Health Department’s Creating Healthy Communities program and local partners have organized an Inclusive Sports Sampler for Athens County youth. The five-week program is scheduled to begin Oct. 13 at the Athens Community Center and is open to children ages 8 and older, both with and without disabilities. Participants will learn basics of popular sports.
Volunteer Ohio University student coaches from the Department of Physical Therapy and Patton College of Education will lead sessions after completing a four-hour training on adaptive and inclusive sports. The working group behind the program includes representatives from those OU units, the Southeast Ohio Center for Independent Living, the Athens County Department of Developmental Disabilities, the City of Athens Arts, Parks & Recreation, and parents of youth with disabilities.
Meredith Erlewine, the health department’s CHC coordinator, said children with disabilities in the county have few sports options. According to Erlewine, recreational leagues rely on volunteers who may lack time or training for one-on-one support, and school teams are not accessible to many such children. She said this can limit chances to learn fundamentals, play with peers, and be coached. A 2023 Ohio Inclusive Sports Needs Assessment by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center found that people with disabilities face worse health outcomes, with insufficient tailored physical activity opportunities cited as a factor.
Organizers report two pilot sessions, in fall 2025 and spring 2026, each served 20 athletes. Sports included basketball, baseball, volleyball, pickleball, soccer, and wheelchair football. Post-program evaluations found student coaches grew more confident, and all responding parents said they would strongly recommend the program. Athens plans to continue it at least yearly, with SOCIL managing and OU faculty recruiting coaches. The cost is $10 per child for five weeks; registration is available by calling the Athens Community Center at 740-592-3325.