young man wearing baseball cap holding microphone

Five years ago, at the age of 9, Ryan Stines was challenged by his parents to find a way to use his passion and talents to give back to the community. Ryan along with his friend Ethan Roller decided to put their love for sports into action creating Endless Sports, an organization to make sure that all kids could benefit from the lessons and joy that playing sports provides.

“I can’t imagine sports not being a part of my life. Sports have given me so much, that I want everyone to always have the chance to be part of what sports offer” stated Ryan. “It’s important to know we are all the same because we all have the same emotions, we all want friends, we all want to play. But it’s also important to know we all face different challenges, so we all have something to learn from each other.”

After attending the first August Madness Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Ryan and his family reached out to host Bridge II Sports, the gold level Paralympic Sport Club in the Triangle that has been providing empowerment opportunities through adapted sports to people with physical disabilities for the past 11 years, to determine how to expand the understanding of adapted sports.  The Endless Sports Wheelchair Basketball Tournament was born!

Similar to Bridge II Sports’ August Madness, this tournament allows people with and without disabilities to experience wheelchair basketball first-hand opening eyes to the speed, competition and skill of adapted sports.  The Endless Sports Wheelchair Basketball Tournament hosts 20 teams of 4 made up primarily of teen athletes from the Cary/Apex area.  Endless Sports has generously raised over a combined $10,000 for Bridge II Sports through this event over the past 4 years.

“We are so appreciative of this young man’s vision and dedication to creating opportunities for ALL people through the power of sport.  We need more ‘Ryans’ and families like the Stines in the world putting passion into action so everybody can play!” commented Ashley Thomas, Founder and Executive Director of Bridge II Sports.

The Annual Endless Sports Wheelchair Basketball Tournament took place Sunday March 11th at the Bond Park Community Center in Cary with 20 team participating.

Through Ryan’s initiative and heart Endless Sports has donated over $5000 of sports equipment to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Raleigh and Durham, provided lacrosse clinics at Camp High Hope and is working on a specialized lacrosse program for the Town of Cary.