How to Get Involved | Participants, Volunteers, & Sponsors

We believe that everyone, regardless of ability level, should have the opportunity to enjoy sports and recreational opportunities. There are many ways to get involved with the sports, teams, clinics, and events that are part of the Gaylord Sports Association. We will work with you to reach your adaptive. sports goals, whether that may be to try a new activity, return to a past leisure pursuit, or strive to be a Paralympic athlete, we can help you to get there. People who lead active, satisfying lives are happier and healthier, and that’s a perfect reason to get involved. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to meet other people, try new activities, challenge yourself and explore the possibilities of adaptive sports! We also have opportunities for volunteers and event sponsors to get involved.

How to Join

Joining the Sports Association is easy and free! New members complete an online member profile and annual waiver to join. If you are not sure about becoming a member, but want to stay connected, please complete our online interest form. If you need assistance or have questions, please contact us and we can help!

Program Eligibility

The Gaylord Sports Association serves individuals ages 16 and up who have a permanent physical
disability or visual impairment that limits the ability to participate in adaptive sports and recreation programming. Our onboarding process is designed to get to know our new members and includes completion of required forms, confirming eligibility, discussing your goals, getting registered for a program and assessing your needs for successful program participation. Our participants typically include people who have experienced a spinal cord injury, amputation, stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, visual impairment, neurological conditions and other related disabilities. Veterans who meet our criteria are encouraged to participate. If you are interested but not sure if you are eligible, please give us a call!

Eligibility to participate in Gaylord Sports Association Programs includes the following criteria:

Have a permanent physical disability or visual disability that limits the ability to participate in recreation activities.
Be 16 years old or over; Participants under age 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian.
Able to manage personal care and medications independently or with the assistance of a companion who accompanies the individual. Personal care is determined by being able to perform tasks of daily living such as restroom use, dressing, and eating. Sports Association staff are not certified to administer medication.
Able to manage personal mobility independently, with an assistive mobility device or with the assistance of a companion.
Able to follow instructions and safety requirements.
Able to effectively communicate independently or with the assistance of a companion.
Willing and able to wear industry standard safety equipment or personal protective equipment (PPE) as required by state regulation and/or Gaylord Specialty Healthcare/Gaylord Sports Association Protocols. This includes but is not limited to: helmet, harness, personal floatation device (PFD), face covering, and/or other Personal Protective Equipment.
Our watersport programs require participants to meet Essential Eligibility Criteria prior to participation. Click here to view our watersports essential eligibility criteria.
Medical clearance through a doctor’s note may be required to participate if the participant has any medical contraindications that would limit participation. This could include but is not limited to: recent hospitalizations, seizure disorders, recent cardiac events, communicable diseases, recent surgeries.
Additional requirements may need to be met based on specific sport, specific program or equipment safety requirements.

Program Registration

All programs require advanced registration and completion of required forms prior to participation. To register, call the Gaylord Sports Association at (203) 284-2772 or email us at sports@gaylord.org. All new members are required to complete a member profile form and sign a liability waiver. Some programs have specific eligibility requirements, online registration forms or require a doctor’s note for participation. A Sports Association staff member will contact you about the program to answer any questions, review your member profile, inform you of any additional program requirements and confirm your registration. If you are interested in joining one of our competitive teams which include Wheelchair Rugby, Sled Hockey, Wheelchair Tennis and the Paratriathlon Team, please contact us to discuss the steps for getting involved. Most programs are FREE or offered at a minimal cost. To view a list of upcoming programs, visit our calendar page here.

What is Provided

Instruction:

Our team of Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS), Adaptive Sport Specialists, certified instructors, certified coaches and trained volunteers provide individualized instruction during our programs. Our goal is to support your skill development and maximize your independence in a safe and supportive environment. Instruction is based on each participant’s level of ability and skill.

Equipment:

Equipment for each sports program will be provided for use during the event. If you have personal equipment you would like to use, please contact us and we can help determine if it will be appropriate for use during the program. We do not currently offer adaptive equipment rentals.

Transportation:

Participants are responsible to arrange transportation to and from events. The Sports Association does not offer transportation to programs, with the exception of ski/snowboard outings which meet at Gaylord Hospital.

Program Cost:

Thanks to extensive support from donors, sponsors, grants and fundraising, all of our programs are offered at no cost or for a minimal fee. Our adaptive sport clinics and discovery nights are always free. Club sports, teams, classes, tournaments and special events may have a fee associated with participation. If a program has a fee, it will be indicated on the event listing on our Calendar page.

Our Policies

Liability and Media Release Form
All participants, instructors and volunteers are required to read, sign and date a Gaylord Sports Association / Move United Waiver & Release of Liability form at least once annually, as well as an optional media release. Anyone 17 years of age or younger, or legally incapacitated must have a parent, legal guardian, or legal representative sign the waiver on their behalf.

Participants under age 18 or legally conserved:

Participants who are under 18 years old or legally conserved must have a legal guardian present during participation. A legal guardian must also sign paperwork such as the liability waiver, media release and member profile.

Program Confirmation:

Registered participants will receive a confirmation email or call about one week prior to the event. This email will provide information about the event such as where/when the event is being held, registration fee, equipment required and suggested attire. We ask that all participants return our call or email to confirm that you are attending the program. This is important as we often have a wait list for our events and a cancellation can help us to potentially accommodate another participant. Program Cancellation: Although we don’t ever like to cancel, there are times when we must cancel a program. Participant safety is our main priority and inclement weather will cancel an outdoor program. The Sports Association Programs may also be cancelled for low registration or other unforeseen circumstances. In the event of a cancellation, we will contact all participants as soon as possible via. phone, email, or both. If there was a fee for the program, participants will be refunded.

Participant Cancellation:

We ask that all participants call us to cancel their registration as soon as possible if you are no longer able to attend. Our programs are often limited to a small number of people and we would like to offer your place to another participant if you cannot attend. If you are registered for a program and do not attend without cancelling, we reserve the right to place you on the wait list for the next program you would like to attend. Fee based programs may not be refundable upon participant cancellation.

Medical Clearance:

Medical clearance is not required for most programs. However, it may be required for participation in certain sports or if the injury or diagnosis occurred within the past year. Sports that require medical clearance are: downhill skiing/snowboarding, waterskiing and contact sports including wheelchair rugby and sled hockey. When joining the Sports Association, we will ask about your medical history and will discuss any contraindications to participation. If medical clearance is indicated, it will consist of obtaining a doctor’s note stating that you have clearance to participate.

Guests:

We welcome family and guests to attend Sports Association programs with the participant. Family and guests must also register for each program and sign a liability waiver. Depending on the program, guests may have the opportunity to actively participate, however priority will be given to program participants. If your guest would like to participate in a sport, please contact us ahead of time to make sure we can accommodate your request. If a family member or guest is a minor, a legal guardian must be present. If there is a fee for participation, the guest may also be required to pay the fee.

Attire:

Attire that is appropriate for the program and weather should be worn during all Sports Association events and practices. This includes:

Appropriate clothing for the activity. In general, t-shirt, comfortable pants and sneakers are typical attire choices.
Appropriate clothing layers for the weather. This may include warm jacket, rain jacket, warm layers, boots, etc.
No derogatory/offensive words or photos on clothing.
Appropriate footwear for the activity. No open toe shoes, flip-flops or open sandals (except for watersports). Footwear should be supportive with rubber soles, such as sneakers.
Clothing must provide adequate body coverage; No low cut, ripped, sheer or transparent clothing.
Programs that take place on a golf course require a collared shirt and no jeans.

If a participant arrives with inappropriate clothing, they may be asked to change or leave the program. Please contact us if you have questions about appropriate attire.

Personal Care Needs:

The Sports Association does not provide personal care assistance. If you require assistance with personal care such as toileting, dressing, eating, please plan to bring an assistant with you.

Forms & Downloads

• Member Profile Form

• Annual Liability and Media Waiver

• Volunteer Profile Form

• Code of Conduct Form

• Brochure

Athlete Safety & Code of Conduct

The Gaylord Sports Association is committed to a strong safety program that protects its participants, its staff, its property and the public from accidents. Everyone is responsible and accountable for the Sports Association’s overall safety initiatives, including our management, staff, coaches, instructors, volunteers, participants and guests. Complete and active participation by everyone, every day, in every role is necessary for the safety among all participants. We support a safe environment for our participants by educating our staff, coaches, instructors and volunteers and by providing proper equipment, training and procedures. Our staff are responsible for following all procedures, working safely, and, wherever possible, improving safety measures. An injury and accident-free program is our goal. We ask any participant who has a safety concern or experiences a safety incident to let us know immediately so that we can respond to the situation promptly.

To support our Safety policy statement we are committed to the following duties:

Create a safe environment by putting safety measures in place.
Ensure that all members are given the appropriate level of instruction for safe participation in the sport based on their ability level.
Ensure that all members are aware of, understand and follow the Sports Association’s safety policies.
Ensure that normal operating procedures and emergency operating procedures are in place and known by all members.
Provide access to adequate first aid facilities, telephone and qualified first aider at all times.
Report any injuries or accidents sustained during any Sports Association program or while on premises.
Implement athlete protection measures such as background screening for staff, coaches and instructors.
Non-tolerance for verbal or physical misconduct, abuse or harassment.
Coaches and staff are required to complete Safe Sport Training, a national organization that provides educational courses for adults and minor athletes, and covers topics such as mandatory reporting, sexual misconduct awareness education, emotional and physical misconduct, and abuse prevention.
Ensure that the implementation of the policy is reviewed regularly and monitored for effectiveness.

Sports Association members have a duty to:

Take reasonable care for your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by
what you do or not do.
Follow the Sports Association safety policies.
Follow the Sports Association Code of Conduct.
Correctly use all equipment provided by the Sports Association.
Not interfere with or misuse anything provided for your health, safety or welfare.

Code of Conduct
The Sports Association is committed to creating a positive environment for all involved persons including participants, team players, coaches, team personnel, instructors, volunteers and any others involved with or working under the auspices of the Sports Association. The Sports Association expects that all persons shall follow the code of Sports Association Code of Conduct. Click here to view a copy of the full Code of Conduct.

Demonstrate respect for all participants.
Use appropriate language.
No possession or use of illegal substances or drugs
Not engage in destruction of property.
Not commit any acts of violence.
Not engage in any behavior which would endanger the health, well-being or safety of any persons involved

Essential Eligibility Criteria for Watersports

Our watersport programs (Kayak and Waterski) require participants to meet Essential Eligibility Criteria prior to participation. All participants must meet the following criteria:

Be able to breath independently without any medical devices.
Pass a water safety test:
Feel comfortable in the water:
Float on back independently with a properly fitted PFD
Hold breath while under water
Propel self in water
Right oneself independently (turn from face down to face up) and remain face up in the water with a properly fitted personal floatation device (PFD)
Be able to exit the watercraft or ski independently in the event of acapsize and right oneself to remain face up with the aid of a PFD.
Be able to manage all personal care and mobility independently or with the minimal assistance of a companion who accompanies the participant.
Additional criteria may apply, please contact us for detail

Other Safety Considerations

Safety Equipment:
All participants must be willing and able to wear industry standard safety equipment or personal
protective equipment (PPE) as required by state regulation and/or Gaylord Specialty Healthcare/Gaylord Sports Association Protocols. This includes but is not limited to: helmet, harness, personal floatation device (PFD), face covering, and/or other Personal Protective Equipment.

Helmets are required for cycling, sled hockey, racing chair and skiing. Helmets will be provided for these sports if you do not have your own.

Some programs may have weight restrictions due to equipment limitations and safety of both the participants and instructors. These programs include downhill skiing and waterskiing. Weight restrictions also apply to specialized equipment such as adaptive cycles, racing chairs or sports chair.

Program Feedback

We are committed to providing the highest quality programs possible and value your feedback. Please contact us at any time by phone, email or in person at Gaylord to discuss your experience with us. A Sports Association survey will also be emailed once a year. During this time, we ask that participants provide their feedback as well as any suggestions for program improvements. We appreciate feedback at any time.

Become a Volunteer

The Sports Association relies on over 150 volunteers each year to run our programs. We are continuously recruiting new volunteers to help us with regular programming, special events and team sports. Opportunities range from a dedicated volunteer position to a one-time special event volunteer. Complete the Volunteer Application Form.

Volunteer Opportunities Include:
• Special Events
• Adaptive Sports Clinics
• Specialty Sports Clinics
• Ski & Snowboard Program
• Cycle Club Rides
• Waterski Clinics
• Team Coach
• Team Volunteer

• Paratriathlon Guide
• Equipment Manager
• Adaptive Sports Instructor
• Photographer / Videographer
• Fundraising Committee

Coaching Opportunities

There are currently no coaching jobs available with the Sports Association. Please check back here for coaching job updates.

Hospital Volunteer Opportunities
Additional volunteer opportunities are available within the hospital and can include transporting patients, clerical support, working in the gift shop or library and peer support. Click here to learn more.

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