Sports

Programs especially for or inclusive of special needs kids

Multiple Sports

Special Olympics  Northern California – Santa Clara County
From their website: “Santa Clara County is proud to offer training and competitions in 11 sports for Special Olympics athletes. Sports Offered: basketball, bocce, bowling, flag football, floor hockey, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field.” Contact santaclara@sonc.org

Achieve Tahoe
Adaptive winter sports place with the mission to provide affordable inclusive physical and recreational activities that build health, confidence, and independence. Contact here.

Basketball

1 on 1 Basketball
From their website: “Our mission is to teach the game properly to players of all skill levels. We focus on instilling basic fundamentals of the game in aspiring players through Developmental Leagues, After School Hoops programs and Camps offered throughout the year.” Contact here.

Horseback Riding

BOK ranch
From their website: “B.O.K. Ranch is dedicated to providing the highest quality of horseback riding lessons and horsemanship classes to children, teens, and adults in a full inclusion environment.” Contact here.

Square Peg
From their website: “The idea at Square Peg is that your diagnosis, label, or IEP requirements do not define who you are. We focus on following our students, celebrating their interests, and connecting through adventure, humor, and kindness.”  Contact here.

Ice Skating

Winter Lodge
From their website: “Winter Lodge is unique in that we are a purely recreational skating school. This means that students will be taught in a relaxed atmosphere and at a pace that is comfortable for the student.  This is how we believe people learn best.” Contact here.

Ice Oasis
Offers Online Sessions, Youth Hockey, Skating School, Figure Skating, Adult Hockey. Contact here.

Martial Arts

Sierra Aikido
Aikido for special needs: the special needs (autism, asperger’s, add, etc. ) program uses free-play and aikido-based physical activities to stimulate neural activity and prepare the children for mainstreaming. Contact here.

Soccer

AYSO VIP Green Giant
From their website: “To develop and deliver quality youth soccer programs through parent/community volunteers that provide a great experience and builds a connected community and develops positive character through participation in a fun, fair, and safe family environment… ” Contact here.

Baseball/Softball

Palo Alto Little League – Challenger League
From their website: “The Challenger League provides boys and girls with disabilities the opportunity to experience the emotional development and the fun of playing Little League Baseball. This groundbreaking program extends to every child an opportunity to participate in a structured athletic program regardless of their ability.” Contact here.

Miracle League of the SF Peninsula
From their website: “The Miracle League runs an Under 18 League and an 18 and Over League. Anyone with a physical or learning disability is welcomed, no matter the severity of the disability.” Contact here.

* * Note that Santa Clara Special Olympics also offers baseball and softball. See above. **

Swimming

Waterworks Aquatics
From their website: “Our mission is to educate and motivate individuals to be safer and learn proper swimming technique. We have chosen to share our love of swimming with children and believe there is a swimmer in every child. We pride ourselves on teaching the necessary skills needed to become a comfortable, proficient swimmer right from the beginning.”  Service locations in Silicon Valley are San Jose and Sunnyvale. Contact here.

Snap Kids
From their website: “Since 1991, SNAP has empowered children with special needs to exercise, swim, connect with others, make friends and enjoy the gifts of childhood through a community based and accessible adapted aquatics program. SNAPkids gives children with special challenges and gifts a place for their lights to shine brightly, to be respected and included, to exercise, play and have fun!”

Timpany Center
From their website: “The Timpany Center’s mission is to provide, through multi-agency involvement and San José State University student service learning, inclusive aquatic and land-based activities that target the promotion of physical health and wellness in individuals with disabilities, obesity, and/or advanced age from the greater Santa Clara County community.” Apply here.

Tennis

Kim Grant Tennis Academy
From their website: “Kim Grant Tennis Academy believes in the power of physical stimulation, specifically tennis, to aid in therapy and recovery for a myriad of ailments, diseases, and physical limitations. KGTA’s program for autistic students, developed with the help and input of numerous industry experts, is a prime example of this belief.”  Contact here.

Running

Run for Fun
Runs after-school programs at PAUSD schools. From their website: “Run for Fun is an outdoor after school program that focuses on play through field games. Kids work on speed, agility and fitness while enjoying games such as capture the flag, chaos tag, and dodgeball. Run for Fun welcomes children of all ages and athletic abilities and emphasizes good sportsmanship and positivity. Our staff is compassionate, spirited and values making personal connections with the kids. We welcome you to have your kid(s) experience a free trial* to see for yourself what makes Run for Fun special.”  Contact here.