Inside the Chair: Why Sport Matters for Kids Living with Disability

Ask any parent who has seen their child discover accessible sport, and they’ll tell you: the difference is staggering.

It’s not just the obvious gains like strength, skill, and fitness. It’s the way their child comes alive when they play.

Sport offers fun and passion. It creates community and belonging. It fuels determination and gives kids a purpose to chase. It becomes a positive outlet for energy and emotion.

Through sport, children find mentors who show them what’s possible, representation that validates their experiences, and friends who understand. They gain happiness and perspective, and a space that both challenges and celebrates them. The ripple effect touches whole families.

This is what wheelchair football, basketball, tennis and other adaptive sports bring. They are a pathway to confidence, connection, and growth.

More Than Play

When a child pushes onto a court, they’re learning more than the game. They’re building resilience with every shot that misses, every push that gets them back into position. They’re learning teamwork in real time - calling for the ball, trusting a pass, celebrating together.

And they’re learning that they belong. That there is a place for them, right in the heart of the game.

The Role of Mentors

One of the most powerful forces in adaptive sport is mentorship. When children see coaches and players with lived experience, they see their own possibilities reflected back to them.

These mentors shape skills, yes, but they also shape identity and pride. They show children how to carry themselves with confidence, advocate for themselves, and dream bigger than they thought they could.

Why It Matters

Accessible sport lifts children in ways that extend far beyond the court. It influences mental health, builds friendships, strengthens confidence and self-belief, and shifts entire communities toward inclusion.

At Freedom Sports Foundation, we see this every week. Sport changes children. It gives them joy, purpose, and a community to grow with.

And we know there are more kids out there - kids who haven’t yet rolled into a chair, taken that first pass, or found their community of “Wheelies”. They’re waiting for an invitation. Our mission is to reach them.