The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that began in 1970 providing ski lessons for children with amputations. Today, the NSCD is one of the largest

therapeutic recreation Recreational therapy or therapeutic recreation (TR) is a systematic process that utilizes recreation (leisure) and other activities as interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions, as a mea ...

organizations in the world, serving more than 3,000 children and adults with

disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

. The NSCD is based out of

Winter Park Resort Winter Park Resort is an alpine ski resort in the western United States, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado at Winter Park. Located in Grand County just off U.S. Highway 40, the resort is about a ninety-minute drive from Denver. History The mo ...

in Winter Park, Colorado, and

Sports Authority Field at Mile High Empower Field at Mile High (previously known as Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Invesco Field at Mile High and Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, New Mile High or Mile High Stadium) is an American football stadium ...

in Denver, Colorado.

History

The NSCD was founded in 1970 by Hal O'Leary, who was then a salaried

ski instructor A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partial ...

at Winter Park Resort. O'Leary taught one lesson to 23 children with amputations, which spearheaded the National Sports Center for the Disabled. For the first three years of the program, O'Leary operated out of a broom closet at Winter Park Resort. Since then, he has been named one of the "best 100 things to happen to skiing" by ''Ski Magazine''. has established programs for disabled

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...

s on four continents and coached two Paralympic teams. O'Leary was also awarded the prestigious honor of

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

, Canada's highest honor of merit given to individuals recognized for lifetime achievement. Today, the NSCD facilitates a variety of both winter and summer programs, including

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...

, snowboarding,

Nordic skiing Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the Ski binding, binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe ...

, snowshoeing, rock climbing, kayaking, Sports Ability Clinics and

therapeutic horseback riding Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) encompasses a range of treatments that involve activities with horses and other equines to promote human physical and mental health. The use of EAT has roots in antiquity, and EAT applies to physical health issues in ...

. The NSCD offers recreational opportunities as well as competitive ski race training through a renowned Competition Center. The NSCD is proud to be recognized as a

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

Sport Club through the U.S. Paralympic Sport Club Network.

Mission

The stated mission of the NSCD: "The National Sports Center for the Disabled enables the human spirit through therapeutic sports and recreation."

Competition Center

The Competition Center is a program designed for beginner through elite-level racers. Edging, balance drills, speed progression and gate training are all emphasized for Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing and Snowboarding competitions. The Competition Center is a smaller faction of the NSCD but provides substantial name recognition and reputation growth due to the caliber of athletes that train there, in the

2010 Winter Paralympics ) , nations = 44 , athletes = 506 , events = 64 in 5 sports , opening = 12 March , closing = 21 March , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Zach Beaumont , stadium = BC Place , winter_pr ...

, the NSCD athletes accounted for more than half of the total alpine medals collected by Team USA.

Steven J. Ricci Award

Steven J. Ricci (1968-1999) was an NSCD athlete who died following critical head injuries during a training run at Winter Park Resort. This award was created to award athletes who exemplify team leadership and

sportsmanship Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport, or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. This is with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. A "sore loser" refers to on ...

2012/13 Competition Program Accomplishments (Alpine)

Copper DSUSA NOR AM Dec 2012 2SG 2GS 2SL * 35 medals out of 108 possible awarded to NSCD athletes Winter Park NOR AM Jan 2013 1 SG 1GS 1SL * 25 out of 54 possible medals awarded to NSCD athletes Kimberley, Can NOR AM Jan 2013 2DH 2SG * 17 out of 64 possible medals awarded to NSCD athletes US Nationals * 22 out of 54 possible medals awarded to NSCD athletes * 11 out of 18 National Champions titled to NSCD athletes * Retained Cup for 2nd year World Cup Highlights * Allison Jones - 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze * Alana Nichols - 1 Silver, 3 Bronze * Danelle and Rob Umstead - 1 Gold World Championship Highlights * Stephen Lawler - Silver DH * Adam Hall - Bronze SL

2012/13 Competition Program Accomplishments (Snowboard)

World Cup Highlights * Mike Shea - Gold Copper NOR AM * Mike Shea - Gold Sochi Test Event * Mike Shea - Silver

2012/13 Competition Program Accomplishments (Nordic/Biathlon)

World Cup Highlights * Dan Cnossesn - 2 Silver, 2 Bronze * 3 top 10 international finishes US Nationals * Dan Cnossen - 2x National Champion * Beth Requist - 2x National Champion

Organizational Leadership

The Leadership Team of the NSCD is composed of six members of the organization: President/CEO, marketing director, Operations Director, Human Resources Director, Competition Center Director and Financial Director. There are 27 community members that sit on the board of trustees.

References

{{Reflist

External links

NSCD website

NSCD Facebook Page

NSCD YouTube Channel
Parasports organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Colorado 501(c)(3) organizations Organizations based in Denver Canoeing in the United States Equine therapies Skiing in the United States Snowboarding in the United States Buildings and structures in Grand County, Colorado Sports venues in Denver Sports organizations established in 1970 1970 establishments in Colorado Skiing in Colorado