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Since 1985 Ability First Youth Sports Camp has provided sports and recreation opportunities for youth with physical disabilities. Ability First was founded by Eric Snedeker and Bill Bowness, masters students in the Therapeutic Recreation department at California State University, Chico. The camp runs for one week every summer on the campus of California State University, Chico and has served well over 700 youth since its inception. Ability First Youth Sports Camp is one of only a few residential sports camps in the United States. For so many youth with disabilities, opportunities to participate in recreational and competitive activities and to socialize with their peers is rare. More importantly, Ability First Youth Sports Camp provides services to youth from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds who live in a rural area. Several of our participants have continued their athletic training and are competing at national and international levels.
The staff consists primarily of students enrolled in the Therapeutic Recreation and Adaptive Physical Education Departments at California State University, Chico. Ability First Youth Sports Camp has provided a unique training opportunity for students to apply theoretical concepts in a residential camp setting. Through these types of community-based learning experiences, the Departments and students have gained state-wide recognition.
