The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members ~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

Transforming an idea into an action plan...
The thought for this sports organization started a couple of years ago in the minds of several families who have children with Down syndrome. Sports formed part of our family life.  So as parents, we wanted to find avenues for our children with Down syndrome to have the same experience as their siblings. We encouraged their participation not only for the comradery but to keep them active. In the early years, our athletes tried multiple sports but ended up gravitating to swimming. They started with local swim lessons and summer swim teams then moved up to club teams and competitive high school teams.  For a while our athletes could hold their own but as the competitive levels increased, mainly due to the physical challenges associated with Down syndrome, our athletes started to lag behind. The athletes and we, as families, tried different avenues where they could truly compete. Most tried Special Olympics, which is a great organization, but were looking for something more year around. As one athlete often asks how can I be part of a ‘travelling team’? 

The real work began...
Then during the summer of 2020, the idea to create a formal sports organization started to take shape with two swim coaches who have been involved with training an athlete with Down syndrome.

Once a dialogue started between the parents and these coaches, we were excited to have discovered an avenue for participation in not only swimming but in other potential sports like basketball, soccer and tennis. It is definitely a win-win, as DSSA and the sports being offered encourage a sense of belonging, commitment, teamwork, and a chance to learn and compete. DSSA has plans to offer multiple competitions where our athletes will be competing on a more level playing field. Indeed, DSSA can certainly keep our athletes active!  If you are a parent of a child or young adult with a physical and/or intellectual challenge, you know the value of keeping your child active. Physical activity has shown to have a significant positive impact on mental health and well-being in general. And for DSSA athletes, they can see themselves naturally following in the footsteps of their peers and siblings.

Moving forward...
This new organization is inclusive to any individual with Down syndrome with the goal to build a pipeline from development stages, to competition and even elite athletes.  DSSA not only supports the physical aspect of the game but will work on developing the whole person – with the thought being success in mastering a sport will lead to independence in life. 

We, as parents, cannot wait to see how DSSA grows and develops and we look forward to watching all of the athletes and their families benefit!