By Bella McAtee
OMAHA Neb. – Nebraska Adaptive Sports (NAS) has helped Omaha residents find passion and community through national competition. Adaptive sports modify recreational and competitive sports for individuals with physical, visual or intellectual disabilities.
Ellie Messerschmidt, 26, who has been in a wheelchair since college, is a two-sport athlete with NAS on the wheelchair basketball team and a forward for the Omaha Owls Sled Hockey team which is preparing for the Team USA Sled Hockey National Tournament on April 30.
“On the outside, a lot of people think, oh, it’s just for fun. They’re just participating, that’s great. And it is, but we’re athletes like, we want to compete, and we want to get better,” she said.
NAS programs such as adaptive tennis, wheelchair basketball and sled hockey are programmed through a three-way partnership between NAS, CHI Immanuel Rehabilitation Institute and Omaha Parks and Recreation.
NAS is 100% volunteer-run with coaches, event staff and board members unpaid. The head coach for the Omaha Owls, Alex Keogh, has watched the program and players evolve together.
“Seeing them go from being totally lost on the ice, to catching it, to playing, to making a play, you know, a tournament, and the entire team, nominating them for player of the game afterwards. I think it is really special,” Keogh said.
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