Car Wash Fund-raiser for Power Soccer team

The Arizona Heat power soccer team hosted a charity car wash at the Chick-fil-a restaurant at the Mesa Riverview and was able to raise over $850 to support the team's expenses for travel to regional and national tournaments. AzDS supports "Matching" funding for one regional or national tournament and the team is fund-raising to support the athlete's matching portion as well as additional funding for a small trip to Glendale, CA for a tournament.

The team is planning to host a charity yard sale over the weekend of November 20th at the Broadway Recreation Center. The team would appreciate your support by donating items to the yard sale...let us sell your junk to support the Arizona Heat Power Soccer team. Contact 480.835.6273 to make arrangements for delivery of your donated items for the yard sale.

AZ well-represented at National tournaments

AzDS sponsored 4 athletes and 2 coaches to attend the 2010 National Junior Disability Championships in Chicago, IL. The 2010 event was hosted by Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA) this past July. Jeremiah Ryberg, Joshua Roy and Isaac Ramirez qualified to compete in the archery competition and all three athletes placed in the top three for their class and age division. Jeremiah Ryberg also qualified to compete in the track competition and broke two National records - the 100m and 200m - for his class and age division. Joe Underwood and Isaac Ramirez represented Arizona in the swimming competition and received 1st place in all of their events. Isaac competed in the 25yd and 50 yd backstroke. Joe competed in the 50 fly, 50 free, 100 back, 100 free, 400 free and 4x50IM. Congratulations to the 4 junior athletes that represented the AZ Heat at NJDC! Thank you to Swim Coach Megan Harden and Archery Coach Lise Lindsay for traveling with the team to Chicago.

AzDS sponsored 6 adult athletes and 1 coach to attend the 2010 US National Championships in Mirimar, FL in July. Led by Coach and competitor Troy Davis, the AZ Heat team traveled to Mirimar to compete in track and field events that they qualified in at the 2010 Desert Challenge Games hosted at Red Mt High School in Mesa. The AZ Heat team included Troy Davis, Erik Hightower, David Ryberg, Lamar Ryberg, Stephen Binning and Jonathan Lopez Perez. Congratulations to the team for a great National representation of Arizona!

Congratulations to Intern Rachel Kupitz

Arizona Disabled Sports was very lucky to have a full-time intern over the summer named Rachel Kupitz. Rachel began her internship in June and finished in mid-September. During her 15 weeks with the organization, Rachel was able to participate in the assessment and evaluation process for each program, fundraising and grant-writing processes, budgeting, planning special events and managing volunteers. Rachel has recently passed her CTRS (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist) exam and will be working hard in the field to support people with disabilities. Best of luck to Rachel! Congratulations on passing the CTRS exam!

Thank you to the Table Sponsors at the 17th Annual Fall Fundraiser

SILVER=$1,000
John and Sue Alig
Arizona Bank & Trust
Dr. James Badge
Boeing Company
Cawood and Gibson, PLLC
Council Member Dina Higgins
Disabled Sports USA / Flancer’s
D.L. Withers Construction
Chris and Sue Hite
John and Linda Hughes
Kohler Company
Lerner & Rowe Phoenix Personal Injury Attorneys
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
Ted and Lynn Moll
Gloria Rusk & Scott Morrison
MSA Engineering Consultants
Dave and Pam Neumeyer
Progressive Roofing
R.C. Lurie Co, Inc.
Schuff Steel Management Co. SW
Taylor’s Flooring
The Mahoney Group
Unite 2 Fight Paralysis

GOLD = $2,000
Simpson Strong-Tie
Valley Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
WD Manor Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

PLATINUM=$3,000
JFK Electrical Contracting Enterprises Inc.
Greg and Ronda Marsh
SW Services, LLC / SPAC Enterprises, Inc.

Thank you to the AzDS Year-Round Sponsors for their generous support

Champion=$10,000 and above
Southwest Airlines

Challenger=$5,000
Desert Club Foundation
Ford Motor Company
Mesa Hohokam Foundation
Subway Kids & Sports Arizona
Vistal Golf Club – Duck & Run Tournament
W. Bradford Perkinson

Competitor=$2,500
Delta Diversified
The Hartford
Greg and Ronda Marsh
SW Services, LLC / SPAC Enterprises, Inc.
Sundt Foundation
WD Manor Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

Charger=$1,000
Boeing ECF
Knights of Columbus
Precision Direct, Inc.
Southwest Asphalt
State Farm Companies Foundation
United Truck & Equipment

AZ Paralympic Experience - Wheelchair Basketball

Individuals with physical disabilities were invited to the Broadway Recreation Center for an introduction to the Paralympic Sport of wheelchair basketball on Saturday, September 25th. Four junior participants along with 4 coaches, 5 volunteers and 6 spectators joined us from 8am-12pm for training, demonstration and drills led by Derek Brown, Peter Hughes and Gary Venjohn. Fourteen adult participants, 5 volunteers, 11 spectators and 3 coaches participated in the afternoon session from 1pm-5pm. The goal of the Paralympic Experience is to introduce a Paralympic sport to a new athlete or introduce a new skill or drill to a current participant. Thank you to Derek, Peter and Gary for donating their time to lead the clinic. AzDS along with Banner Wheelchair Suns hosts a Paralympic Experience annually at the beginning of the season (August or September).

Power Soccer Clinic hosted by PIKA

The Arizona Heat and ASU Power Soccer Clubs joined together on Monday, August 30th at the Broadway Recreation Center for an instructional clinic led by "Pika", a power soccer clinician from Atlanta, Georgia. Pika led the teams in numerous drills to improve their kicking and ball-handling skills and completed the clinic with a scrimmage. Thank you to Pika for sharing his knowledge with the Arizona teams.

Coach Megan Harden receives Disability Swimming Service Award

The purpose of the Disability Swimming Service Awards is to recognize significant contributions by an individual or group to the inclusion of swimmers with a disability in USA Swimming programs or in the sport of swimming. One national-level award and several LSC-level awards are presented annually.
The AzDS swim coach, Megan Harden has been awarded a Disability Swimming Outstanding Coach Award! When Megan met a young swimmer with spina bifida she "didn't see a cute little crippled kid who wanted to swim. She saw a determined athlete who only needed the right coach to do great things. She wanted to be that coach."
Megan has now coached Joe Underwood for four years, including trips to the National Junior Disability Championships and US Paralympics Can-Am competitions. Megan has since included several swimmers with a disability as part of Swim Neptune, and also assumed the swim coach position for AzDS in 2010. Her coaching philosophy centers on helping each of her swimmers to attain their personal goals.
Congratulations Coach Megan!

17th Annual Fall Fundraiser

On Saturday, October 2nd, AzDS hosted the 17th Annual Fall Fundraiser at the Mesa Convention Center. The organization was very pleased to have 365 guests to bid on the 155 silent auction items and 10 live auction items. Kevin Hunt of 12 News entertained the crowd as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Special thank you to auctioneer Greg Gerber, DJ Larry Indelicato, vocalist Laura Danielle Walsh and Monsignor Nestor for their support at the 2010 event. Congratulations to the organizing committee for a successful 17th year - especially Linda Hughes and Deb Krecek who put in countless hours of volunteer work towards the event.

Annually at the Fall Fundraiser, AzDS presents the Jay Coyner Award to the most deserving athlete with a physical disability. The 2010 recipient is Stephen Binning.
Stephen first got involved with sports when he was just 6 years old and has tried every single sport imaginable since then including wheelchair basketball, kayaking, cycling, golf, snow-skiing, water skiing, track, field and archery. He is the most active athlete involved in the programs and is always willing to try something new.
Stephen has traveled all over the country to compete in sports and was even selected for the Beijing Experience through the Paralympic Academy and traveled to the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. Most recently, Stephen has been active on his high school track team at Desert Vista High School. Stephen is a quiet leader on the court and pushes himself and his teammates to do the very best. Congratulations to Stephen Binning for winning the 2010 Jay Coyner Award.

14th Annual Day on the Lake

Day on the Lake makes a big splash at Barlett Lake. Over the course of two days, June 4 and 5 2010, 118 participants with neurological disabilities participated in Barrow Neurological Institute's 14th annual Day on the Lake. The sports and recreation event allowed participants to water ski, jet ski, fish, kayak and take boat rides. Day on the Lake provides unique opportunities to the neurologically impaired who don't have many opportunities to experience these types of water sports. With the help of The Barrow Connection and a specialized team from California, participants can try their hand at water sports in a safe and encouraging environment. "Day on the Lake" provides access to recreation and allows people with disabilities to live an active life. For more information of events such as Day on the Lake, please contact Jo Crawford at The Barrow Connection at 602-406-6280.

2010 Desert Challenge Games

More than 120 athletes from across the nation, Canada and Bermuda gathered in Mesa from May 19-23 for the 2010 Desert Challenge Games. The weekend included competitions in archery, field, track, swimming and weightlifting. Individuals were also able to obtain international classification at the event in Mesa which is only one of two locations in the U.S. to provide the opportunity. The US Olympic Committee hosted a military camp for Wounded Warriors the week prior to the games and then 25 Wounded Warriors competed in the Desert Challenge Games. Many awards were given out to the amazing athletes including the 2010 Power Player Award presented by Grand Canyon State Games to David Ryberg. More information at www.desertchallengegames.com.

AzDS is launching their new E-newsletter

Arizona Disabled Sports is excited for the creation of a new E-newsletter that will be distributed by email to athletes, families and community members each quarter. The E-newsletter will feature quick news on upcoming and past events and then the new AzDS Blog will feature the full-length story.

2010 USPSA Nationals: Bittersweet Ending

The 2010 USPSA National Tournament was going to be the culmination five great years with the Arizona Heat soccer team. After spending the last five years with the Heat, I decided to join the new Arizona State University Power Soccer Club at the conclusion of the season. But before I join my new team, I wanted to make sure that my final season with the Heat would be our best season ever.

Expectations were high as we welcomed two new teammates from Indiana, Ginny Munson and Katie Dickey. The two came from a successful power soccer program, so we were hoping some of that winning spirit would follow them to the Valley of the Sun. And follow them it did. From the first practice, our new teammates brought a renewed vigor to the Heat squad that hasn’t been around for a long time. Our team had a new dimension and excitement that gave us hope for a very successful 2010 season.

2010 USPSA Nationals: A Lesson of Perserverance

After a great second place finish at the Western Regional, we on the Arizona Heat 2nd Degree were feeling really good about our chances at this year’s national tournament. However, those hopes were dampened slightly when we found out that one of us wasn’t going to be able to make the trip. It would change our game plan a bit, but we still felt strong heading to Indianapolis.

Arriving at the airport, another member of our team showed up extremely ill, but he decided to make the trek anyway. He wanted to be there for the rest of us and he was sacrificing his health for the team. When the team arrived in Indianapolis, it was decided that our sick teammate was too sick and needed immediate medical attention. A trip to the hospital now left us with only four players. Despite the circumstances, we had to carry on.

2010 Power Soccer Golf Benefit raises funds to support team trip to Nationals

This past April, the Arizona Heat Power Soccer Team held its annual benefit golf tournament at The Links at Queen Creek. In order to take advantage of the cooler weather, the tournament was moved to April, and the temperatures did not disappoint. The temps hovered around the high 80s for the event and it was a perfect day for a trip to the links. More than 80 golfers came out to support the Heat and hang out with friends. And in an effort to root on the golfers, several of the Heat athletes were on hand to cheer everyone on and thank them for their support. The athletes even made their way out to hole number five to help run the closest to the pin contest and watch the action up close.

Everyone had a great time on the course and the event was a great success. After the golf was over, everyone was treated to lunch, an awards ceremony and raffle. All of the golfers, athletes and volunteers had a great time as it was another successful tournament. When it was all said and done, the tournament raised more than $5,000 for the Heat and the funds were used to help supplement the expenses of the trip to the National Power Soccer Tournament this past June in Indiana. Thank you to everyone who participated and volunteered at the event. If you would like to participate in next year’s tournament, please email Gabe Trujillo at gabettrujillo@gmail.com.

USPSA Restructuring

There will be a major restructure of the divisions next year for the United States Power Soccer Association. The USPSA is doing away with the familiar division 1 and division 2 system and adopting a new conference format. Starting next season, the 60 teams in the USPSA will be divided into six conferences. The new conferences will be created by the teams’ overall skill level. For example, the top 10 division 1 teams will be in the top conference and new teams and the lower level division 2 teams will be in the bottom conference. The USPSA Competition Committee will review each team and inform all the teams of which conference they’re in later this year.

Once the new conferences are created, each team will be required to play at least 12 games in order to qualify for the Conference Cup. Instead of the traditional National Tournament, each conference will now hold a Conference Cup Tournament to determine a conference champion. The tournaments will be held at the end of the season in June and tournament sites are yet to be determined. For updates on the new conference alignment, please visit the USPSA Website at www.powersoccerusa.net.

Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) is amazing!

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) raises money to help people with physical disabilities pursue an active lifestyle through physical fitness and competitive athletics. For more information on CAF visist: http://www.challengedathletes.org/

Through the generous grant program for individuals with physical disabilities, the following Arizona Heat athletes were able to receive brand new adaptive equipment:

Troy Davis - handcycle
Erik Hightower - handcycle
Mike Fleming - handcycle
David Ryberg - racing chair
Mike Tagliapietra - racing chair
Gavin Warren - racing chair
Ty Kachanuk - racing chair
Elysse Power - racing chair
Rachel Kroener - basketball wheelchair
Austin Alcorn - recumbent cycle
Evie Boone - recumbent cycle

The total grant amount for the Arizona Heat athletes is over $25,000!!! CAF is amazing!

Junior Suns 9th at Invitational Tournament

Senior Robert Reed finished his junior wheelchair basketball career on a high note in Denver last April, scoring 114 of the Suns' total 183 points for their 4 games of the National Junior Invitational Tournament.

"Robby," as he is known by his teammates, led the team to their best finish yet in the national tournament, ninth overall, scoring an average of 28 points per game with assistance from starters Paul Rodriguez, also a senior, Stephen Binning, Joe Underwood, Rachel Kroener and, in the last game of their high school career, Adam Phillips.

For the first time in the '09-'10 season, the league determined which teams played varsity and which played the Junior Invitational Tournament (formerly junior varsity) from among all teams playing on the 10 foot baskets. The Suns were ranked 25th among the 53 ten-foot teams, giving them the 9th seed in the invitational tournament. The Junior Banner Wheelchair Suns are jointly sponsored by Arizona Disabled Sports and Banner Wheelchair Suns/Mercury.

Working 2 Walk Symposium

An exciting new conference is coming to Phoenix this year! Unite 2 Fight Paralysis is hosting the 5th annual Working 2 Walk Science & Advocacy Symposium on November 11-13, 2010 at the Phoenix Airport Marriott. The symposium will be full of cutting edge research and resources. Arizona Disabled Sports is partnering with Unite 2 Fight Paralysis to end the conference with a fun day full of adaptive sports and recreation.

Speakers at the conference include Drs. Wise Young, Philip Horner, Stephen Davies & John McDonald, Ed Wirth and Frank Reynolds. For more information visit www.working2walk.org or email unite@unite2fightparalysis.org.