Dairyland Sports Corporation

Dairyland Sports aims to engage and empower all individuals, regardless of ability or experience, to improve their health and well-being through participation in sport & fitness. We are working to build an extensive partnership network with local and national adaptive sports organizations so that we may serve as a "one-stop-shop" for all Wisconsin athletes, families, and healthcare professionals who are interested in getting more involved with adaptive sports. We are committed to developing high quality athletic programming, supporting our local adaptive sports partners through financial and in-kind donations, and providing education to the next generation of caring and compassionate individuals who want to assist in our mission. Additionally, we continue to push for equity of services for individuals with disabilities in the healthcare system who deserve to have access to high-quality sports medicine clinics, educated and knowledgeable healthcare providers, access to low-cost sports equipment, and improved training & sports performance opportunities so that they may excel in their sport and fitness goals.

Dairyland Sports has taken tangible steps towards building our organization since its incorporation in December of 2017. Our strategy for 2021 will be to reach out to local elementary, middle, and high schools to improve recruitment of school-aged adaptive athletes, improving our presence in the scientific research community by serving as expert panels and partners with Universities, expanding our annual budget to include an annual NWBA wheelchair basketball tournament and year-long group fitness training, and continuing to build our network of partners and sponsors who work to assist us in our mission. Dairyland Sports has committed to providing annual service-learning opportunities and internships for interested volunteers, with preference for building strong connections with students in the healthcare fields.

Currently, our organization is fiscally capable of providing summer training for athletes, our annual Dairyland Games event as a qualifier for Move United Junior Nationals, and engaging in continued educational programming and presentations in the local community. Our board and directors graciously volunteer to lead this organization without compensation in order to adhere to a relatively small annual budget of 20,000. Through improved partnerships with local healthcare systems, fundraising events, and private donations, we could greatly expand our ability to reach more athletes and provide more services for a very deserving population who has been disadvantaged for far too long. We work hard to ensure that our athletes are not financially burdened by membership fees, registration fees, and other costs associated with participation in our programming. Therefore, we provide these programs at no-cost or very low-cost to the athletes and families and rely heavily on public funding to ensure we can be viable for years to come.

Dairyland Sports annually serves individuals with physical disabilities, including medical diagnoses of spina bifida, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, amputations, dwarfism, multiple sclerosis, and many congenitally-acquired neurological disabilities. We provide programming for 90+ days out of the year, mainly in the spring/summer, with in-kind assistance from volunteers, staff, and sponsors. In 2019, nearly 75 athletes traveled from 8 states across the Midwest to compete in the annual Dairyland Games with events in track, field, swimming, and various interactive clinics from local organizations. We have been able to build a partnership with University of Wisconsin - Madison Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and we provide an annual, year-long service-learning opportunity for 3 students to develop exercise programming for our athletes, train with athletes, and learn more about how to be future advocates of adaptive sports in their careers. We also offer 1 on 1 strength and conditioning services via one of our staff members who is a Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer and member of our team.

In 2021, we hope to expand our athletic programming by establishing an annual NWBA Wheelchair Basketball Invitational based out of Madison, WI. We have partnered with Mad City Wheelchair Sports to work towards this goal, and anticipate hosting a tournament in October 2021 with wheelchair basketball teams from various states across the Midwest. In addition, our team at Dairyland Sports seeks to serve as expert consultants in the implementation of innovative programming and services housed within the sports medicine department of a local healthcare system.