The Mesa Association of Sports for
the Disabled sponsors a Track & Field team
every year for athletes who have a physical disability.
The program is designed for athletes ages 6 and
up. School age children do not have to be enrolled
in a Special Education program in order to compete.
The season begins in January and continues through
April. Competitive team practices through July.
The team also competes in several road races in
the fall.
Competitions may include the Desert Challenge
Games, the Tucson Victory Games, the Far West
Wheelchair Games, Junior National Championships,
and a variety of other National Championships.
Athletes are evaluated based upon their functional
abilities and placed into classifications so that
they compete against athletes with similar functional
abilities. They are also grouped based upon age
and gender.
Specific distances and implements utilized are
determined by age and classification status. The
age groups include:
Ages 5 & 6 (futures - minimal competition)
Ages 7 to 9
Ages 10 to 12
Ages 13 to 15
Ages 16 to 18
Ages 19 to 21
Ages 20 to 39 (adults)
Ages 40 and over (masters)
Track events can be run with no assistance, prosthetics,
crutches, walkers, racing wheelchairs, etc.
Blind athletes may use callers or tethered partners.
The events include the 60, 100, 200, 400, 800,
1500 and 5000 meter races plus some relays.
Field events include shot put, javelin, discus,
club throw, soft shot, softball throw and long
jump.
There is no cost for this program, but annual
membership in a disabled sports organization (WSUSA,
NDSA, DSUSA, USABA) is a requirement for competition.
Click
here to register for this sport.