Shepherd Center sponsors 11 sports teams that enable individuals with physical disabilities to participate in sports on a recreational or competitive level. Athletes compete in local and regional competitions, as well as at the national and international levels. Regular practice sessions offer expert instruction, as well as camaraderie and peer support.
In today’s podcast, sport teams coordinator Matt Edens discusses the program and how it raises awareness about disabilities and increases participation in adapted sports.
Selected Podcast
Participating in Sports Teams after Injury
Featured Speaker:
Learn more about Shepherd Center sports and Matt Edens
Matt Edens
Matt Edens has worked at Shepherd Center for 15 years – five years as an inpatient/day program recreation therapist and 10 years as the sports teams coordinator. Edens coordinates Shepherd Center's 11 sports teams with more than 100 athletes participating in Shepherd’s team practices. In 2016, he was inducted into the Dixie Wheelchair Hall of Fame for his contributions to organizing wheelchair sports.Learn more about Shepherd Center sports and Matt Edens
Transcription:
Participating in Sports Teams after Injury
Melanie Cole (Host): Shepherds Center sponsors 11 sports teams that enable individuals with physical disabilities to participate in sports on a recreational or competitive level. Athletes compete in local and regional competitions as well as at the national and international levels. Regular practice sessions offer expert instruction as well as camaraderie and peer support. My guest is today is, Shepherds Sport’s team’s coordinators, Matt Edens. Welcome to the show, Matt, so discuss the program a little bit and how important this is to get people with disabilities involved in these sports teams.
Matt Edens (Guest): Well, thanks for having me, appreciate it. Shepherd Center offers 11 adaptor sports programs, for the most part with it for individuals with physical disabilities. Our programs range, several different sports, and from the recreation level, all the way up to the competitive, Paralympic level activities. For several reasons why this is important, we’re here at the hospital, we’re talking about being active and leading an active lifestyle, and we’re able to actually provide that for our community members. Here in the Atlanta Metro, Atlanta area, that they can come in, compete, workout, be active, and it’s a wonderful for them to be peer-supports, be one with the community, get active, and be involved.
Melanie: So, tell us about joining a team. What do they have to do to get involved in a team? Is there any trying out or knowing the sport?
Matt: Yes, sure. For the most people, when people contact me, they’re interested in getting involved, they’re interested in being active, which is fantastic, and then I come and steer them… I go through all the programs that I have…the eleven teams that I have, and the teams that they would be appropriate for. With those teams will involve a lot of coaching or some coaching so that they are familiar with the sport. If somebody’s never been in an adaptive chair before, either a wheelchair basketball chair, or a rugby chair, or a handcycle, or racing chair, we get them first into that piece of adaptive equipment, so they know what it’s like.
I rarely just throw somebody into a practice without them knowing what the sport is, and what it involves. So, once they get into some of the adaptive equipment, they see what the sport is, then I invite them to come out to practice, and a lot of times they take off from there. That initial session that I have with them, let them know what’s out there, what’s available, and then they get into those sports chairs or adaptive equipment, and the rest is history. They get coaching from one of our 11 coaches, and they get the peer support from veteran players, and they get into the sports teams.
Melanie: So, now some of them actually head to the Paralympics, and so, speak about that and how you’re contributing to this and helping them get there.
Matt: Sure, so all of my athletes have goals. Every one of the athletes have goals that are part of our program. Some of their goals are just like, we’re discussing being active, some of goals to get better in their sport, and some of them have goals to get to the Paralympics, and not everybody’s going to make to the Paralympics. Paralympics just like the A-wall… A-wall body Paralympics. The Paralympics, they take the cream on the crop that makes their times that are the top-level competition, not everybody can make it to the Paralympics. So, what we try to do, is we help them, we can try to help them to achieve their goals. So, if it’s getting to the Paralympics, then we have…and they’re at that level of competition, we have a weight room, we have a pool, we have different coaches that specialize in frigs and cardio. So, we’re able to provide them with the resources to make…to help to make them achieve their goals.
Melanie: Now, let’s talk about the mental aspect for a moment, Matt, because as these are some competitive sports, some of them, such as maybe Bass-fishing and water-skiing don’t seem to be as hardcore, but how do you help somebody who might feel frustrated with their limitations when they’re trying to do these sports and be active, which is all a positive thing?
Matt: Sure, so all the sports have a level of competitiveness into it. Bass-fishing is on the STM nowadays, so there’s that level of competition to it, water-skiing, actually two of my members, three of my members in the recent history have made it to the USA Waterski Team. So, all my sports are competitive, but it doesn’t mean that that’s where they have to be at. They don’t have to live in that highly competitive zone, there are aspects of my programs that lend itself to being a peer support, lend itself to…we have veteran athletes or veteran players on the team, that lends itself to that new player, that recreational player that’s trying to get better and trying to improve. Those veteran players are there as well to help mentor the younger guys, it doesn’t have like…we’re talking about… it doesn’t have to be through making it to an elite status of an athlete. It can also be that peer-support, it can be that mentoring. Several times we go on these trips where we travel, I pair a veteran athlete up with an athlete that is new to the program, and just what’s going on behind the closed doors in doing your daily life. I’ve got those athletes that are able to kind of mentor those new guys. That makes sense.
Melanie: Well, it does and it’s just such a wonderful program, and Shepherd Center sponsors the largest disabled sports program in North America, yes?
Matt: Yeah, for the largest adult program in America, yes. We’ve got around a hundred athletes, athletes like we’ve been talking about, recreational all the way up through competitive, and if I might touch on something real quick. We’re talking about the Paralympics, with the Paralympics over the past several years, we’ve sent athletes to roughly around 20 athletes in different sports, rugby, basketball, fencing, swimming, track and field, handcycling. So, we have that complete level of elite level athlete, as well as that recreational athlete.
Melanie: And a little pat on the back, Matt Edens, because you are the sports team coordinator at Shepherds Center, but you were recently inducted into the Dixie Wheelchair Hall of Fame for your contributions to organizing these wheelchair sports. Speak about that, was that exciting for you?
Matt: Yes, ma’am, it was quite an honor, it was very exciting. I’ve been involved in wheelchair athletics, that’s a sport now for almost 16 years, and it’s been fantastic and it’s voted on by some of my peers, people that I have interactions with throughout the south-east, and it was a great honor to be inducted into the Dixie games, Wheelchair Hall of Fame, for sure. Several athletes, and several of my mentors in the past have been inducted.
Melanie: Now, when we’re talking about certain sports like track, if somebody has a brain injury or spinal cord injury or maybe just missing arms or legs, something along those lines, a paraplegic. How is track, is this wheelchair games, track as in wheelchairs, how do some of these work? Explain a little to the lay listener.
Matt: Sure, so wheelchair track or racing, as I call it, wheelchair racing and wheelchair track, they are specialized chairs. We’ve had athletes in the past that are quadriplegic, paraplegic, amputees. We’ve had members on the team that are quadriplegic amputees, they’re missing all four limbs and they’ve gotten into racing. So, it’s a different type of chair. It’s not this hospital chair that people might think of. People pushing on. These are specialized chairs that individuals get into.
Melanie: How exciting. So, wrap it up for us, Matt, what would you like the listeners to know about competitive and international sports, and getting people with disabilities involved, the importance of doing it not only for their own feelings of self-esteem and satisfaction, but for that camaraderie and for the whole level of it.
Matt: Yes, it is. You’re kind of wrapping it all up in a nice… So, it’s not just about competitive, it’s not just about getting out there and being active. It runs the whole gammon of why people enjoy sports. It’s the camaraderie, it’s the peer-support, it’s the getting out and being active, it’s being part of a team, it’s getting out there and winning as a team and losing as a team, it’s getting out there and setting your own goals and achieving those goals. And if you don’t achieve those goals, it’s getting out there and working hard, harder to achieve what you’ve set out to do.
Melanie: Fantastic, thank you so much, we applaud all the great work that you’re doing, Matt, there at Shepherd Center. You’re listening to Shepherd Center radio, and for more information, you can go to, Shepherd.org, that’s Shepherd.org. This is Melanie Cole, thanks so much for listening.
Participating in Sports Teams after Injury
Melanie Cole (Host): Shepherds Center sponsors 11 sports teams that enable individuals with physical disabilities to participate in sports on a recreational or competitive level. Athletes compete in local and regional competitions as well as at the national and international levels. Regular practice sessions offer expert instruction as well as camaraderie and peer support. My guest is today is, Shepherds Sport’s team’s coordinators, Matt Edens. Welcome to the show, Matt, so discuss the program a little bit and how important this is to get people with disabilities involved in these sports teams.
Matt Edens (Guest): Well, thanks for having me, appreciate it. Shepherd Center offers 11 adaptor sports programs, for the most part with it for individuals with physical disabilities. Our programs range, several different sports, and from the recreation level, all the way up to the competitive, Paralympic level activities. For several reasons why this is important, we’re here at the hospital, we’re talking about being active and leading an active lifestyle, and we’re able to actually provide that for our community members. Here in the Atlanta Metro, Atlanta area, that they can come in, compete, workout, be active, and it’s a wonderful for them to be peer-supports, be one with the community, get active, and be involved.
Melanie: So, tell us about joining a team. What do they have to do to get involved in a team? Is there any trying out or knowing the sport?
Matt: Yes, sure. For the most people, when people contact me, they’re interested in getting involved, they’re interested in being active, which is fantastic, and then I come and steer them… I go through all the programs that I have…the eleven teams that I have, and the teams that they would be appropriate for. With those teams will involve a lot of coaching or some coaching so that they are familiar with the sport. If somebody’s never been in an adaptive chair before, either a wheelchair basketball chair, or a rugby chair, or a handcycle, or racing chair, we get them first into that piece of adaptive equipment, so they know what it’s like.
I rarely just throw somebody into a practice without them knowing what the sport is, and what it involves. So, once they get into some of the adaptive equipment, they see what the sport is, then I invite them to come out to practice, and a lot of times they take off from there. That initial session that I have with them, let them know what’s out there, what’s available, and then they get into those sports chairs or adaptive equipment, and the rest is history. They get coaching from one of our 11 coaches, and they get the peer support from veteran players, and they get into the sports teams.
Melanie: So, now some of them actually head to the Paralympics, and so, speak about that and how you’re contributing to this and helping them get there.
Matt: Sure, so all of my athletes have goals. Every one of the athletes have goals that are part of our program. Some of their goals are just like, we’re discussing being active, some of goals to get better in their sport, and some of them have goals to get to the Paralympics, and not everybody’s going to make to the Paralympics. Paralympics just like the A-wall… A-wall body Paralympics. The Paralympics, they take the cream on the crop that makes their times that are the top-level competition, not everybody can make it to the Paralympics. So, what we try to do, is we help them, we can try to help them to achieve their goals. So, if it’s getting to the Paralympics, then we have…and they’re at that level of competition, we have a weight room, we have a pool, we have different coaches that specialize in frigs and cardio. So, we’re able to provide them with the resources to make…to help to make them achieve their goals.
Melanie: Now, let’s talk about the mental aspect for a moment, Matt, because as these are some competitive sports, some of them, such as maybe Bass-fishing and water-skiing don’t seem to be as hardcore, but how do you help somebody who might feel frustrated with their limitations when they’re trying to do these sports and be active, which is all a positive thing?
Matt: Sure, so all the sports have a level of competitiveness into it. Bass-fishing is on the STM nowadays, so there’s that level of competition to it, water-skiing, actually two of my members, three of my members in the recent history have made it to the USA Waterski Team. So, all my sports are competitive, but it doesn’t mean that that’s where they have to be at. They don’t have to live in that highly competitive zone, there are aspects of my programs that lend itself to being a peer support, lend itself to…we have veteran athletes or veteran players on the team, that lends itself to that new player, that recreational player that’s trying to get better and trying to improve. Those veteran players are there as well to help mentor the younger guys, it doesn’t have like…we’re talking about… it doesn’t have to be through making it to an elite status of an athlete. It can also be that peer-support, it can be that mentoring. Several times we go on these trips where we travel, I pair a veteran athlete up with an athlete that is new to the program, and just what’s going on behind the closed doors in doing your daily life. I’ve got those athletes that are able to kind of mentor those new guys. That makes sense.
Melanie: Well, it does and it’s just such a wonderful program, and Shepherd Center sponsors the largest disabled sports program in North America, yes?
Matt: Yeah, for the largest adult program in America, yes. We’ve got around a hundred athletes, athletes like we’ve been talking about, recreational all the way up through competitive, and if I might touch on something real quick. We’re talking about the Paralympics, with the Paralympics over the past several years, we’ve sent athletes to roughly around 20 athletes in different sports, rugby, basketball, fencing, swimming, track and field, handcycling. So, we have that complete level of elite level athlete, as well as that recreational athlete.
Melanie: And a little pat on the back, Matt Edens, because you are the sports team coordinator at Shepherds Center, but you were recently inducted into the Dixie Wheelchair Hall of Fame for your contributions to organizing these wheelchair sports. Speak about that, was that exciting for you?
Matt: Yes, ma’am, it was quite an honor, it was very exciting. I’ve been involved in wheelchair athletics, that’s a sport now for almost 16 years, and it’s been fantastic and it’s voted on by some of my peers, people that I have interactions with throughout the south-east, and it was a great honor to be inducted into the Dixie games, Wheelchair Hall of Fame, for sure. Several athletes, and several of my mentors in the past have been inducted.
Melanie: Now, when we’re talking about certain sports like track, if somebody has a brain injury or spinal cord injury or maybe just missing arms or legs, something along those lines, a paraplegic. How is track, is this wheelchair games, track as in wheelchairs, how do some of these work? Explain a little to the lay listener.
Matt: Sure, so wheelchair track or racing, as I call it, wheelchair racing and wheelchair track, they are specialized chairs. We’ve had athletes in the past that are quadriplegic, paraplegic, amputees. We’ve had members on the team that are quadriplegic amputees, they’re missing all four limbs and they’ve gotten into racing. So, it’s a different type of chair. It’s not this hospital chair that people might think of. People pushing on. These are specialized chairs that individuals get into.
Melanie: How exciting. So, wrap it up for us, Matt, what would you like the listeners to know about competitive and international sports, and getting people with disabilities involved, the importance of doing it not only for their own feelings of self-esteem and satisfaction, but for that camaraderie and for the whole level of it.
Matt: Yes, it is. You’re kind of wrapping it all up in a nice… So, it’s not just about competitive, it’s not just about getting out there and being active. It runs the whole gammon of why people enjoy sports. It’s the camaraderie, it’s the peer-support, it’s the getting out and being active, it’s being part of a team, it’s getting out there and winning as a team and losing as a team, it’s getting out there and setting your own goals and achieving those goals. And if you don’t achieve those goals, it’s getting out there and working hard, harder to achieve what you’ve set out to do.
Melanie: Fantastic, thank you so much, we applaud all the great work that you’re doing, Matt, there at Shepherd Center. You’re listening to Shepherd Center radio, and for more information, you can go to, Shepherd.org, that’s Shepherd.org. This is Melanie Cole, thanks so much for listening.