Featured Organization: Move United

Move United Logo presented with text in primarily black, light blue, red, and pink.

We all know that sport makes us stronger; physically, mentally and socially. That is true for people with and without disabilities, but youth and adults with disabilities have fewer opportunities to participate. Move United, the national leader in community-based adaptive sports, uses the power of sport to push what’s possible for people with disabilities, confronting ignorance, fueling conversation, and inciting action that leads us to a world where everyone’s included.

Since 1956, Move United has been offering sports and recreation for individuals with physical disabilities. Each year, 125,000 youth and adults with disabilities participate in sports and recreation through Move United’s 240 member organizations in 45 states as well as the District of Columbia. Now, there are up to 70 adaptive sports offered across the country.

If you want to compete, there are plenty of opportunities. Move United, an Affiliate of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, recently released its sanctioned competitions schedule for 2025. This year, 36 sanctioned competitions will take place in 24 states, serving over 2,500 athletes of all ages and performance levels, including new athletes, Paralympians, and warfighters. Five new events have been added to this year’s schedule and nearly 20 adaptive sports will be contested throughout the year at these events.

The first competition kicks off February 22, with the 31st Annual Tri-State Regional Swim Meet in Piscataway, New Jersey and the schedule wraps with the GUMBO State Governor’s Games in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Each event serves as a qualifier for The Hartford Nationals conducted by Move United, which is scheduled to take place July 11-17, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This competition is the oldest and largest continuously held competitive multi-sport event for youth athletes with physical disabilities ages 6 to 22 in North America.

Individuals can also join Move United and membership is free (although there is a premium membership plan for those interested in additional benefits for $75 per year). Individual members have access to grants for adaptive sports equipment, training, travel, and other perks throughout the year.

For wounded veterans, Move United is the largest nonprofit provider of adaptive sports to injured veterans, annually providing adaptive sports opportunities to 2,000 injured veterans and family members at no cost through its Move United Warfighters program. 

Those interested in becoming trained in adaptive sports, Move United hosts educational sessions throughout the year, including the annual Move United Education Conference. Trainings take place in person and online and is geared towards those who work or want to work in the adaptive sports industry. Other educational resources are available and Move United works closely with a number of national governing bodies for adaptive sports.

So whether you want to compete in the USA Wheelchair Football League or enjoy sports and recreation locally, Move United is your one-stop shop for information and resources. Move United champions the belief that sports have the power to change the world. So join the movement at www.moveunitedsport.org.