By David Miller
The University of Alabama’s Adapted Athletics has been strengthened for the 2018-19 academic year after the University’s administration and Student Government Association worked to allocate revenues to fund scholarships for the program.
SGA, in conjunction with UA’s administration, identified and allocated $70,000 for the program, which has 30 students on various forms of sport, foundation or academic scholarship. The new revenues will help fund up to four scholarships for the program, which has won a combined 11 national championships in men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.
“We are thrilled to have the support of our administration and SGA,” said Dr. Brent Hardin, director of Adapted Athletics. “The additional scholarship funds will help us continue recruiting and growing our programs at championship levels.”
UA Adapted Athletics started in 2003 with a women’s wheelchair basketball team and has since grown to include competitive teams in men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair golf and para-rowing. Additionally, more than 100 students participate in the program’s non-competitive sports on campus.
In January, the program opened a $10 million multi-use sports facility that includes a game venue, offices, study spaces and state-of-the-art training equipment for adapted athletes, the first of its kind on a college campus in the United States.
Later this month, 14 former or current players and coaches will participate in the World Wheelchair Basketball Championships.
“SGA is excited to support Adapted Athletics and help fill a need in their program,” said Justin Clay Gaddis, vice president of financial affairs for SGA.
SGA is exploring the logistics of fulfilling plans to fund four Adapted Athletics scholarships annually. SGA passed legislation during its last term to implement a student fee of $3 each semester, and while the fund has been established, SGA leadership must determine the opt-in or opt-out processes and how the fee will be communicated to students.
Gaddis hopes to begin funding the scholarships by January or the beginning of the next academic year.
“When (SGA member) Darby McQueen wrote the legislation, I wanted this to be the breakout piece for our administration,” Gaddis said. “It’s an important program for us. Adapted Athletics is winning national championships, and we’re really excited to support the program.”