The Michigan State University Adaptive Sports & Recreation Club provides inclusive and accessible sports for students with physical disabilities. With the help of MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD), the club provides wheelchair hockey, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair rugby, as well as many other events for students to participate in. This club is led by Piotr Pasik, instructor in the Department of Kinesiology. Piotr is a 4-time MSU graduate, with degrees in International Relations (BA), Social Relations and Policy (BA), Rehabilitation Counseling (MA), and Kinesiology: Psychosocial Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity (MA). All of Piotr’s work with the MSU Adaptive Sports & Recreation Club is voluntary and unpaid, despite the extensive time and effort he puts in daily and the subsequent positive outcomes.
In the past year, the club has experienced significant success in their grant cycle, coming up 3 for 3 in their applications for funding. The MSU Adaptive Sports & Recreation Club was awarded the Michigan Health Endowment Fund Community Health Impact grant, which provided $100,000 to implement a state-wide online exercise and nutrition program for Michigan high school students with physical disabilities. They were also awarded the Craig H. Nielsen Foundation Community Independence Grant, with $25,000 dedicated for 6 new MSU Sport Wheelchairs for the course that Piotr teaches. Finally, the club was recognized with the MSU Offices for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant. This grant provides $4,000 to support engineering projects, equipment, and daily operations that will aid students in their educational and physical success.
Congratulations to the MSU Adaptive Sports & Recreation Club for being recognized for their valuable contributions to the MSU community.