Tracy Lalone lost her leg in a motorcycle accident seven and a half years ago. After the accident, she struggled with adapting to new exercises, traveling and finding a community. Now, the Flint native drives an hour to Michigan State every week to play wheelchair basketball with new friends.
“I actually discovered this adaptive sports program through a friend of mine and it has been quite amazing,” Lalone said. “I do travel a little bit, but it's pretty much family now.”
MSU’s adaptive sports programs date back to the mid-1950s in order to create spaces for those like Lalone to participate in athletics at Michigan State. Ross Winter, the associate programs director for MSU Recreational Sports and Fitness Services says accessibility for all is built into the program’s ethos.
“We've always been welcoming and we will continue to be welcoming of all populations and try to make accommodations when needed or necessary so that everyone can participate,” Winter said. “We stand by that.”
It continued to grow with the start of the Adaptive Sports and Recreation Club created in 2014 by an MSU alum with cerebral palsy, Piotr Pasik. The club has been able to educate students and connect disabled athletes with student volunteers and interns that are involved with the program.
“This is a beautiful thing where not only is it the chance for wheelchair users or anyone with a disability to come out and play sports, but it's also a real community,” said Nate St. Pierre, a MSU kinesiology student.
St. Pierre said the community and friendships he was able to build through adaptive sports were some of the best memories he has created. He also highlighted Wednesday and Friday morning wheelchair basketball games with Lalone and the importance of the work they are doing at MSU.
“Sports are one of the best things in the world for development and making friends and growing as a human,” St. Pierre said. “For someone like me who has played sports my whole life and had the opportunity to play whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, it was clear to me that, just because someone else may not have the same blessings and opportunities that I have, doesn't mean that they should be excluded or not have the chance to do that.”
St. Pierre said this taught him the value and impact of adaptive sports. He takes time out of his schedule to learn and has found a new passion while developing for his future career. Students like St. Pierre have impacted Lalone’s life.
“The students, they're absolutely amazing,” Lalone said. “They just care and they want to make sure every practice that I'm having fun.”
The energy inside IM Circle during practices reflects the program’s emphasis on inclusion and community.
“Everyone deserves to feel good and be able to do things because it's not fun sitting on the sidelines,” said Lalone. “If adaptive sports didn't exist, you'd have more people stuck on things they can't do. I learned a long time ago, I have to focus on what I can do and what I can't do or I'm going to be miserable.”
A study published through the National Library of Medicine found that adaptive sports exhibited a positive influence on the mental quality of life of adults with physical disabilities. Sports are not only important for physical health, but also to help strengthen mental health which is why MSU Recreational Sports hopes to continue the growth of adaptive programming.
“When we talk about what leads to successful individuals on campus, physical health and mental health is a big component of that,” said Winter. “You can also add in the component of feeling connected and feeling a sense of belonging on campus. That's what adaptive recreation helps provide.”
Students like Sam Vukasovich, a kinesiology student and member of the Adaptive Sports and Recreation Club, echo the sentiment and are grateful for the program MSU has fostered.
“I think it's important for everybody to have the opportunity to be able to come out and exercise and compete and have fun,” said Vukasovich. “I think MSU does a really good job of that and being inclusive is a huge part of what MSU does.”
Now their goal is to continue to spread awareness about the program and its impact. St. Pierre and Vukasovich got involved because of a presentation from Pasik on the organization. Vukasovich said a lot of people in his major didn’t even know the program existed.
Now they are working to share their experiences with their peers.
“I just want to see more involvement from community members and from classmates of mine,” said St. Pierre. “Every person that I've ever brought to one of these practices or one of these events has had an amazing time and has really grown to love and appreciate the adaptive sports community.”
Anyone in the community is welcome to attend adaptive sports programming regardless of their disability or health issues. Lalone hopes to see the programs continue to grow across the country so they are more accessible. Winter said they hope to bring more adaptive and participatory programs to recreational sports at MSU. In the meantime, students, like St. Pierre, are grateful for the opportunities at hand.
“I think it's a beautiful thing and I'm incredibly glad that I did it and had the opportunity to meet the people I did and grow in the way I did,” said St. Pierre. “I hope I can come back as an alum.”