The city’s first-ever Adaptive Sports Fair will take place at Long Beach City College, Playmakers’ new home for baseball.
Local nonprofit Playmakers, Long Beach City College Foundation and SoCal Adaptive Sports are teaming up to host a sports event that truly has something for everyone, no matter what their age and abilities.
In the city’s first Adaptive Sports Fair, children and adults of all abilities and interests can come together to play baseball, ride tricycles, try martial arts, dance, boccia, wheelchair basketball and many more activities.
The smorgasbord of sports will take place in LBCC’s Baseball Complex Building X, the new location for all of Playmakers’ baseball games going forward.
Playmakers has been providing baseball and basketball leagues and dance classes to local children and adults with disabilities since 2021. This upcoming spring baseball season will act as a homecoming of sorts, as the nonprofit has been hosting games in Seal Beach until now.
It’s a perfect opportunity for Playmakers to start “building a stronger relationship with the community,” said Ron Krajniak, chair of the board for Playmakers. They also hope to connect with local organizations who are providing similar opportunities for the disabled community in Long Beach and surrounding cities.
“We want to help the community understand what’s out there and what’s available for kids and young adults with disabilities,” Krajniak said. “We can do a better job of making the community more aware.”
According to the Long Beach Disability Community Resource Guide, more than 46,000 people with disabilities live in the city and more than 9,000 students with disabilities are enrolled in the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD).
Playmakers is continuing its plan to create the city’s first adaptive sports complex, with fields, courts and facilities that cater to Americans with Disabilities Act standards and account for things like noise sensitivity, wheelchairs, motor function issues and more. Residents can learn more about this goal, which has been discussed with the City since 2022, at the Adaptive Sports Fair.
Vendors with resources and information on the physical and mental benefits of adaptive sports will be present at the fair.
Resources and vendors who have confirmed a spot for the Adaptive Sports Fair include SoCal Trykers, which fits and helps people into an adapted tricycle that’s perfect for them; Tichenor Clinic for Children, which helps those 10 to 18 years old learn strengthening, coordination, flexibility and endurance; ABLE Arts, which organizes arts and crafts activities; Pools of Hope, DJ Diamond, Momentum Refresh, Sunset Vans and more.
Playmakers is still accepting vendors and sponsors who want to contribute to the Adaptive Sports Fair.
Disabled and “typical” kids will have the chance to participate in the wide range of activities together, Krajniak said, to “engage the overall community in being more open-minded in terms of being inclusive.”
It’s one of the tried and true methods of Playmakers. During its baseball seasons, local high school baseball teams play alongside those in the Playmakers league to break down barriers and bridge the gap of understanding what’s possible.
The city’s first Adaptive Sports Fair will take place on April 13 at the Long Beach City College Liberal Arts Campus at 4901 E Carson St. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check www.letsbeplaymakers.org/ for updates.
Residents interested in signing up for Playmakers’ baseball league or boccia ball season can visit the website.
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