A group of students propel their wheelchairs across the hardwood court, trying to get open for a pass from their teammate, while playing wheelchair basketball for the first time. This activity along with seated volleyball, hand cycling, a virtual reality experience, and adaptive climbing were all part of Illinois State University’s Adaptapalooza 2023, held February 22 in the Student Fitness Center.

Organized by the Illinois State Therapeutic Recreation Department in collaboration with Campus Recreation, Adaptapalooza allows students to experience sports adapted for people with physical disabilities.

The annual event was started in 2015 by therapeutic recreation students in Advanced Therapeutic Recreation Practices, a class taught by Sherri Hildebrand, an instructional assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and Recreation.

“One of the goals for Adaptapalooza is to advocate for therapeutic recreation as a profession, but it’s also to advocate for adapted sports for people with physical disabilities,” said Hildebrand.

This was Adaptapalooza’s eighth year introducing students to adaptive recreation.  Around 70 attendees experienced five primary stations including seated volleyball, wheelchair basketball, hand cycling, adaptive climbing, and virtual reality.

Upon arrival, students scanned their Redbird ID card and received an activity map which listed a question for them to respond to at each station. Students who visited all five stations and completed the questionnaire were eligible to win a T-shirt.

The most popular sport at Adaptapalooza, Hildebrand said, is wheelchair basketball.

While exiting the court after trying wheelchair basketball, sophomore Cory Bredehoeft said, “It was interesting to see how life works from another person’s perspective.”

In another popular activity, students lined up to participate in adaptive climbing. Participants were harnessed in at the Student Fitness Center’s 40-foot rock wall and climbed blindfolded or climbed blindfolded in the smaller free climb area. Climbers leaned, reached, and felt around for grips while advancing up the wall. Students on the ground directed the climbers, telling them where they should put their hand next.

After climbing blindfolded, freshman Haley Becker said, “It was a fun experience and really made me push myself.”

Many students also gravitated toward the virtual reality station. In 2022, Dr. Nicky Wu, an assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and Recreation, received a grant to bring virtual reality to Adaptapalooza. This year, students experienced virtual swimming with sharks.

A student leader was placed at each station to provide instruction and information to student participants. Most leaders were therapeutic recreation students, especially those taking Advanced Therapeutic Recreation Practices, as well as recreation management students and student volunteers.

Joshua Varner, a senior therapeutic recreation major and student enrolled in Advanced Therapeutic Recreation Practices, first attended Adaptapalooza last year as a participant and assisted with the planning and implementation this year. He said from this event, students, “can learn to advocate for people with physical disabilities and learn more about adaptive sports.”

Hildebrand hopes the event will continue to expand in years to come.

“My favorite part about Adaptapalooza is watching the ISU students participate and have fun and realize that it is different than they expected,” said Hildebrand. “They didn’t know what they were getting into, but you can tell how much fun the ones who participate have. You can hear it. The joy that the participants get out of it is reason I do it.”