Michigan Adaptive Sports Collaboration Summit
Monday, July 13th 4:30pm – 6:00pm
In-person or virtual attendance welcome. Please complete the registration below in advance of the session.
In-Person Location:
Mary Free Bed YMCA – Meeting Room
5500 Burton St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/hVLEGob3SgOwRMkynkZHoA
Michigan is home to a diverse and growing adaptive sport landscape. Across the state, organizations are serving athletes of all ages, abilities, and aspirations through recreational, rehabilitative, competitive, and social programming. These organizations represent a wide range of communities and populations, including urban and rural regions; youth, collegiate, and adult participants; and individuals with physical, intellectual, and multiple disabilities.
Despite this breadth of programming and expertise, there remains tremendous opportunity. By working together, Michigan’s adaptive sports community can create economies of scale, share knowledge and resources, increase visibility and marketability, pursue collaborative funding opportunities, and build stronger pathways for athlete identification, development, and long-term participation. Similar opportunities exist to strengthen recruitment, training, and retention of coaches, officials, and volunteers.
As adaptive sport continues to grow nationally, and with the momentum leading toward the 2027 Move United Education Conference in Ann Arbor and the LA28 Paralympic Games, now is the ideal time to bring Michigan’s adaptive sport community together to envision what a coordinated and thriving statewide ecosystem could become.
Session Description:
This 90-minute interactive workshop will convene adaptive sport organizations, community partners, educational institutions, healthcare providers, parks and recreation agencies, governing bodies, and other stakeholders from across Michigan to begin building a more connected adaptive sport network.
The session will focus on:
Facilitating introductions and relationship-building among organizations and leaders;
Identifying common challenges and opportunities across the adaptive sport landscape;
Exploring opportunities for collaboration, resource sharing, and collective impact;
Discussing strategies to improve athlete, coach, official, and volunteer development and retention;
Developing a shared vision for what an ideal adaptive sport ecosystem in Michigan could look like.
This workshop is intentionally designed as a starting point, not a one-time conversation. The goal is to establish relationships and identify actionable next steps that can continue throughout the year and ultimately contribute to a stronger, more unified adaptive sport community across the state.
Call to Action:
No single organization can meet the needs of every athlete or solve every challenge facing adaptive sport. However, together we can build a system that is more accessible, sustainable, collaborative, and impactful than any one organization could create alone.
Participants are invited to join this first statewide conversation, share their experiences and perspectives, and help shape the future of adaptive sport in Michigan. Whether your organization serves youth or adults, recreation or competition, physical or intellectual disabilities, your voice and expertise are essential.
The future of adaptive sport in Michigan will be strongest when it is built together.
Invitation
You are invited to participate in the Michigan Adaptive Sport Collaboration Summit during the 2026 Move United National Conference in Grand Rapids.
This gathering is intended for anyone who is directly or indirectly involved in adaptive sport, recreation, physical activity, or disability services in Michigan, including:
- Adaptive sport organizations
- Disability service providers
- Parks and recreation agencies
- Schools and universities
- Healthcare and rehabilitation professionals
- National governing bodies
- Community organizations and nonprofits
- Coaches, officials, and volunteer
Join us as we begin an important conversation about how we can better connect our efforts, strengthen our collective impact, and create a more coordinated and inclusive adaptive sport ecosystem for all Michiganders.
Registration for Michigan Adaptive Sport Collaboration Summit
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