Bridge II Sports programs would not be possible without the collaboration of many different community partners. Bridge II Sports has strong support for our programs within the Parks and Recreation Departments in Wake, Orange, and Durham Counties. Fayetteville became a Bridge II Sports Regional Hub in 2010 and the programs there continue to grow under the leadership of Jamie Scruggins. We have several contacts in Charlotte and the Charlotte Parks and Recreation Department is a US Paralympic Sport Club. Bridge II Sports also aims to bridge the gap between military families and the community.

Bridge II Sports promotes the efforts of groups that offer adaptive sport opportunities throughout the Triangle region and the state. Be sure to check out the Around the State area to see additional programs that are offered by Bridge II Sports community partners.

Three Regional Hubs and then some...

Bridge II Sports is working hard at unifying adaptive sporting in North Carolina. Instead of having all these separate smaller organizations working hard to get the word out we are trying to bring everyone who is doing the right thing under one umbrella to make it easier for you and the families who need and want these opportunities for their kids to find them all in one place. 

• Triangle Area
  Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and surrounding areas...
• Fayetteville Area
• Charlotte Area
• Around the State
  This will contain smaller areas that may have a one-off program or are looking to get started in adaptive sports. 

Bridge II Sports is a Paralympic Sport Club. If you see the Paralympic Sport Club - Triangle logo on one of the program pages, that means that sports is a US Paralympic sport. Keep your eye out for it!

 Track and Field

Track and Field is one of the sports that make up the “umbrella sport of athletics.”  Dating back to the foundation of human civilization, track and field events are among the oldest of all sporting competitions due to its essence of human physical expression.  They are generally made of individual sports; which in turn, allow athletes the freedom of choosing whether to compete against other athletes or even against their own personal bests.  Here at Bridge II Sports, we find it irresistible to provide opportunity for track and field events because there is literally something for EVERYBODY!  Whether you’re about speed, precision, power, distance, WHATEVER, you’ll find a home with track and field.  We find a way to provide all the necessary accommodations for each sport; ensuring you will always be safe, comfortable, and excited each time you come out. 

Track and Field competition is open, but not limited to male and female athletes with physical disabilities such as dwarfism, amputation/limb loss, blindness/visual impairment, spinal cord injury/wheelchair-users and cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke.  If you want to do it, Bridge II Sports will find a way to make it happen!

Boccia Ball

Boccia has been a part of the Paralympics since 1984.  Although the game originated long ago in Italy, its popularity has spread worldwide. Boccia was originally presented as a sport for athletes with cerebral palsy, but is now open to all athletes with significant physical disabilities. Boccia tests the athlete’s coordination, accuracy, concentration, and ability to strategize.

Boccia can be played one-on-one, in pairs, or in teams of three. It is played on a specially marked court, which is usually a gymnasium floor; however, the game can be versatile and played outdoors. The object of the game is to throw or roll game balls so that they land as close as possible to a target ball called the jack.  

Golf

Conceptually, Golf is a relatively easy sport to learn.  However, it is one of the most difficult sports to play and master.  In principle, the game involves striking a small ball using a club over some distance and eventually into a small hole. When playing a course, one would then repeat this exercise 17 more times over holes of different lengths and degree of difficulty.  As easy as this may sound, you could spend a lifetime perfecting your golf swing! North Carolina has a rich history of having some of the nicest golf courses in the U.S.; and though many courses are not ADA accessible, many offer driving ranges that allow folks to hit the ball into space.  At Bridge II Sports, our golf program operates at Hillandale Golf Course in Durham, NC. Here you will find some of the most inviting and kind professionals willing to find ways to make the game of Golf as comfortable, accessible, and enjoyable as possible to all people of all ages and disabilities.  We’ll find sighted guides for the visually impaired, adaptive equipment for wheelchair use, and have Golf Professionals on hand to assist anyone with their golf game.  So come join us out on the greens for a fantastic day!

W/C Basketball

Historical documents reveal that, in 1946, the California Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America played the first match of wheelchair basketball, two weeks prior to the New England Chapter. Thereafter, it spread across the nation to VA hospitals in Boston, Chicago, Memphis, Richmond and New York. Before long, the sport had spread across the border to Canada and across the ocean to England.

Here at Bridge II Sports, we manage a youth wheelchair basketball team named the Jr. Thunder based in Raleigh, NC.  The Jr. Thunder are the youth affiliate to the Triangle Thunder, whose goal consists of fostering each participant's social and societal well-being by fostering their physical well-being through vigorous physical exercise, skill formation, and healthy fellowship with other persons with disabilities. Whether in Raleigh, or other areas of the state, you'll find a team close by that could use your spirit and expertise!  So come check us out sometime and see for yourself, because who knows...w/c basketball could be your calling.

Marksmanship

At Bridge II Sports, we offer a variety of marksmanship opportunities.  These include Air Rifle shooting, Archery, and Skeet & Trap shooting. If you are interested in any of the below or all three, we will get you established! Air guns, traditionally regarded as guns for beginners, have now made the transition to guns for everyone. Some types, such as the familiar BB gun, are excellent as a "first gun;" other types are designed and used by seasoned international competitors.  Whether they are used for recreation or sport, for field use or as an inexpensive training tool, air rifles and air pistols are an excellent way to enjoy shooting. In recent years, air guns have undergone dramatic improvements in reliability, durability and accuracy. Air guns offer flexibility - they can be safely fired by shooters of all ages and experience levels. 

Trapshooting was developed in England late in the 18th century. The first targets were live pigeons, which were released from cages known as traps. The sport was first practiced in the United States early in the 19th century and was popular by midcentury in a number of areas, notably Cincinnati, Ohio, and the New York City area. In subsequent decades the scarcity of live pigeons prompted trapshooting enthusiasts in the United States to create ingenious artificial targets. The substitute targets first tried included glass balls filled with feathers and solid iron pigeons mounted on long metal rods. Platter-shaped clay pigeons were developed about 1870. The subsequent introduction of standard-ized traps facilitated nationwide competition.  
Competitive archery involves shooting arrows at a target for accuracy from a set distance or distances. This is the most popular form of archery worldwide and is called target archery. A form particularly popular in Europe and America is field archery, shot at targets generally set at various distances in a wooded setting. There are also several other lesser-known and historical forms, as well as archery novelty games. Note the tournament rules vary from organization to organization. 

Hand-Cycling

Handcycling is a form of adaptive cycling that enables athletes of all abilities to ride a “bike” exclusively using the upper body. Handcycling is also one of the newest competitions at the Paralympic Games, where it made its first appearance in Athens, Greece in 2004, although it was first included at the World Championships in 1998.   You can test your endurance and strength, and overall enjoy cruising on the open road! It’s ideal for people who have no or limited use of their legs, people who have poor balance, or anyone that just wants to try a different sport.So, if you are ready to hit the road, Bridge II Sports can get you going! 

Tennis

Thanks to the efforts of a man named Brad Parks, wheelchair tennis became a recognizable, and highly competitive sport near the late 1970s.  Due to its instant, widespread popularity, it became a paralympic sport in the late 1980s.  Although an adaptive sport, the size of courts, balls, and rackets are all the same.   For those that may be unfamiliar, tennis is a game thats played by two to four players who hit a ball with a racket over a net that is dividing the court.  Tennis for able-bodied athletes can only let the ball bounce once in competition; which serves as the only difference between w/c tennis, who can have the ball bounce twice before they hit it.Here at Bridge II Sports, we provide a great opportunity to play wheelchair tennis in Cary, NC.  W/C Tennis is a fluid, and highly effective cardiovascular workout, which further promotes muscle development and coordination as well.  As a more individual sport/activity, tennis can improve confidence, and always leaves you with room to grow.  Whether one-on-one or with a teammate, you will always have an exciting experience, so come on out!

Ballroom Dancing

Sometimes called integrated dance, wheelchair ballroom dancing has been around since 1980.  The first international competition took place in Sweden in 1997, and the first world championship took place in Japan in 1998.  It has been increasingly popular in the United States, and it continues to flourish with the growing popularity of competitive dancing in the media.  Triangle Dancewheels brings wheelchair ballroom and Latin dance to the disabled community by integrating disabled and able-bodied individuals in competitive venues as well as for general recreation.  So if you like music and love to boogie-woogie, why not check them out!?  If you do not, we bet they could get you to!