Wheelchair basketball players in yellow-and-black jerseys moving the ball on an outdoor court

Where people usually start

Five ways beginners start

Wheelchair Court SportsBasketball, rugby and tennis played from a sport chair, open to many people who walk day to day as well as everyday wheelchair users.

Start here

Look up the nearest wheelchair basketball team and ask to join a practice; most teams have loaner sport chairs and welcome walk-in newcomers.

National Wheelchair Basketball Association

Sitting VolleyballA fast game on a smaller court with a low net, played sitting on the floor; popular with amputees and people with leg or hip impairments.

Start here

Ask local volleyball clubs or adaptive programs whether they run a sitting session, then go in clothes you can slide on the floor in.

USA Volleyball: about sitting volleyball

Adaptive ClimbingIndoor climbing with adapted belay systems, a guide calling holds for blind climbers, or a hauling setup for people climbing mostly with their arms.

Start here

Book an adaptive climbing night at a gym that partners with an adaptive climbing group; the staff fit the harness and rig the belay for you.

Paradox Sports

Adaptive Snow SportsSkiing or snowboarding on a sit-ski, with outriggers, tethered to an instructor, or following a guide's voice.

Start here

Book a first lesson with an adaptive ski school before the season fills up and tell them about your needs when you book so they bring the right equipment.

Adaptive Sports Foundation

Adaptive SwimmingLessons and lane swimming with adapted strokes, a pool lift or ramp entry, and an instructor who works with your range of movement.

Start here

Ask your local pool whether it runs adaptive swim sessions or has a pool lift, then book a lesson with an instructor who has taught disabled swimmers.

Open a card to see what to do first. Each one ends in a button that adds that sport's small gear to the kit; the program supplies the chair, sit-ski or harness.

Your first month

A woman in a powered wheelchair holding a pink hula hoop on the painted floor of a sports hall — A session in a school sports hall

Getting the specialist equipment

Do not buy a sport wheelchair, sit-ski, prosthetic or other adaptive equipment online as a beginner. It has to be fitted to your body, and a poor fit can cause injury.
Use program loaner equipment for your first season. Coaches will see what setup suits you and can suggest an honest size and spec.
When you are ready to own gear, get fitted through the program, a seating specialist or your prosthetist, and ask about adaptive sports grants and used gear from team members.
Your everyday mobility aids, hearing aids or communication devices stay as they are; ask the coach how to store or use them safely during play.

A man in an everyday wheelchair holding a basketball at the side of a fenced outdoor court — Courtside before a game

Classification, explained simply

Classification groups athletes so competition is decided by skill rather than by the type or level of impairment. You do not need a class to practice or play recreationally, and many people never get one. If you start competing, trained classifiers review your medical documentation and watch how you move during the sport, then assign a class or point value. In wheelchair basketball, for example, each player gets a point value and the five on court cannot add up to more than a set total, which keeps teams balanced. Special Olympics uses a different approach, grouping athletes with intellectual disabilities into divisions by age, gender and ability so every heat is close.

How one game works

USA Volleyball: about sitting volleyball How the sitting game works and who is eligible

Staying safe and comfortable

Your clinician knows your body; ask them about anything specific to you before you start, such as skin protection, temperature control or joint load.
Tell the coach about your needs and any warning signs before each session, and agree how you will signal that you need to stop.
Drink regularly, and take extra care in heat if your body cools itself less well than others'.
Check your skin and any pressure points after sessions while you get used to new equipment.
Let the program fit and adjust any belt, strap or harness rather than doing it yourself at first.

What trips beginners up

Programs can be far away or seasonal. Expect some driving, and look at carpooling with teammates.
The first sessions are tiring in new ways: different muscles, a new chair, a new way of moving.
Sport chairs and sit-skis feel unstable at first; most people feel at home within a few sessions.
Do not buy expensive specialist gear before you have played a season on loaner equipment.
Do not judge a sport by one session with a badly fitting loaner; ask for adjustments and come back.
Do not skip asking for what you need. Coaches would rather adapt a drill than watch you struggle in silence.

A person with a prosthetic leg and running shoes striding along a sunny path among other walkers — Out on a group walk

Programs, funding and lessons

Adaptive sports networks list local member programs, and sport-specific associations list teams. Veterans can also ask their VA medical center about adaptive sports programs. Once you commit to a sport, equipment grants can cover a large part of the cost of a fitted sport chair or sit-ski.

A woman on a handcycle beside her black service dog on a seaside boardwalk, in black and white — A handcycle out on the boardwalk

Funding and programs

About this kit

Programs supply the specialist equipment, so this list is just the general kit that makes sessions easier: something to drink, clothes you can move and sweat in, and a bag to carry it all. Each sport then adds a few small items, such as pushing gloves for court sports or warm layers for the snow. Your first try-it session or clinic fee is the real first purchase.

Amputee football players on crutches beside orange training cones and balls on indoor turf

Pack your gym bag

Every line, with its options side by side

The first line is not something you buy online: it is the try-it session or program fee, paid to the program. For the rest, compare the options on each line, then set your tiers and check out from the cart. Clicking a card selects it there, and clicking the selected card again takes that line out. The water bottle, shirt, bag and towel start in the kit. Each sport's lines join when you switch it on: pushing gloves for Wheelchair Court Sports, elbow pads for Sitting Volleyball, a chalk bag and chalk ball for Adaptive Climbing, warm layers, goggles and mittens for Adaptive Snow Sports, and goggles for Adaptive Swimming.

No. 01

Adaptive sports try-it clinic or program fee

Essential · Programs

A program gives you fitted loaner equipment, a trained coach and teammates, which is the safe way to try any adaptive sport.

Not sold on Amazon · paid to the program

Not sold on Amazon. Look for a member program of a national adaptive sports network, a local team or a parks department adaptive recreation office. Try-it days are often free; regular sessions often run from free to about $50 a month.

No. 02

Insulated sports water bottle

Essential · Hydration

You will drink more than you expect in a new sport, and a big insulated bottle keeps water cold through a whole practice.

budget

Actives Insulated Stainless Water Bottle with Insulated Spout Lid, 32oz, Onyx

4.8(30.1K)

$25.10

Adaptive Sports

Where people usually start

Your first month

Getting the specialist equipment

Classification, explained simply

Staying safe and comfortable

What trips beginners up

Programs, funding and lessons

About this kit

Pack your gym bag

Adaptive sports try-it clinic or program fee

Insulated sports water bottle

Moisture-wicking athletic shirt

Sports duffel bag

Quick-dry microfiber towel

Padded pushing gloves

Volleyball elbow pads

Climbing chalk bag

Refillable climbing chalk ball

Thermal base layer set

Ski goggles

Waterproof insulated ski mittens

Anti-fog swim goggles