2017 Collegiate Para Sport Summit Recap

FLUSHING, N.Y. (Dec. 7, 2017) - The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) has launched an Inclusive and Adaptive Sports Initiative for Recreational. Intercollegiate Sports and Competitive Athletics, in partnership with 11 non-profit organizations, CUNY offices, municipal agencies and the United States Olympic Committee.

The 15 institutions that comprise the CUNYAC, which span all five boroughs of New York City, are participating in the program, as well.

The initiative aims to have inclusion of Paralympic-eligible athletes onto existing teams, competitions, and championships, with reasonable sport-specific accommodations.

Since the CUNYAC was established in 1987, it has been a leader among Division III conferences in initiatives that focus on the student as much as the athlete.

“CUNY is proud to serve as a first-choice destination for the most talented students with disabilities,” said Christopher Rosa, CUNY Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. “Among the aspects of University life that make CUNY so attractive is our abiding commitment to inclusion in academic and co-curricular life.

IVC Rosa also added: “Indeed, this core value of inclusion is expressed most richly in CUNYAC’s vision for Inclusive Athletics. In this model, students with and without disabilities will compete side-by-side in both individual and team sports. Members of CUNY campus communities with and without disabilities will gather to demonstrate their school spirit by rooting them on! The Central Office of Student Affairs is honored to advance true inclusion at CUNY by promoting the development of Inclusive Athletics.”

“CUNY Athletics has a long-term commitment to ensuring students with disabilities have the appropriate opportunities available to compete recreationally, on an intercollegiate athletic team or even in the Paralympics,” CUNYAC Executive Director Zak Ivkovic stated. “We encourage the use of our accessible facilities throughout the University and the facilities made available by our partners in the tri-state area. Our goal is to grow our reach in the areas where our students feel the most comfortable and see as their best participatory fit.”

The CUNYAC has had its share of exceptional student-athletes who have overcome the odds to achieve their dreams. They include former Baruch swimmer Natalia Mirashnichenka and wheelchair tennis player Jongchul Sah and Hunter graduate Patrick Anderson, who was named the Most Valuable Player and helped Team Canada to a gold medal in wheelchair basketball at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in London.
 
“Being a part of the swimming team really helped me step out of my comfort zone to make new friends, and most importantly, I was able to get a great college experience by competing in a sport I really enjoy,” said Mirashnichenka.

"Sport is important to me because it welcomes and challenges me to make the most of what I have -- long arms and a love for basketball -- rather than worry about what I am missing," Anderson stated.

“No matter what level of running or walking I’m planning on doing that day, there is always someone there who can advise me and go on that weekly run with me," said Lehman student Andrew Zhang.

Any students interested competing at the intercollegiate level or intramural sports should reach out to their respective campus athletic departments or the CUNYAC for more information on the following sports:

• Swimming and Diving
• Track and Field
• Tennis
• Wheelchair Basketball

Additionally, the CUNYAC would like to thank those organizations, which provide supportive services for Paralympic-eligible athletes and other persons with disabilities, for partnering on the Inclusive and Adaptive Sports Initiative.

They are the United States Olympic Committee and U.S. Paralympics, NYC Parks and Recreation, Wheelchair Sports Federation, Achilles International, United States Tennis Association and Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Row New York, Garden Empire Volleyball Association, CUNY Office of Student Affairs, CUNY Coalition of Students With Disabilities (CCSD), University Student Senate (USS) and the CUNY Veterans Affairs Office.

An informational brochure will be released soon on CUNYAthletics.com.