Adaptive Sports and Recreational Experiences in Miami

From beach days on white-sand beaches to boat days in the clear-blue water, from swimming to basketball and more, everyone is included in Greater Miami & Miami Beach. Adaptive sports and recreation are accessible to anyone with physical and emotional challenges. So get out there and have a ball.

Basketball On Wheels

The Miami Heat Wheels wheelchair basketball team practices Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Gwen Cherry Park in Liberty City or Miami Springs Recreation Center. Open to anyone 16 years old and older, the team helps athletes with disabilities learn and play basketball, even allowing them to compete regionally and nationally in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. This program is free and is funded by the Leisure Access Foundation. Advanced registration is required, and once you register, you’ll be given a practice schedule and fitted for a sports chair.

Go Sailing on Biscayne Bay

Shake-A-Leg Miami in Coconut Grove is dedicated to making water activities — and the benefits of being on the water — accessible to kids and adults with physical or developmental challenges. Throughout the year, it offers numerous accessible water sports adventures, like eco tours, paddle sports, fishing, sailing, sailing lessons, summer camps and unique programs. We Can Sail, in which participants can experience the thrill of sailing, kayaking and boating on Biscayne Bay, is open to ages 6 to 22 and takes place Saturdays during the school year.

Spend Glorious Days on the Beach

Everyone should be able to experience a beautiful day on the beach, and the Sabrina Cohen Foundation makes that possible. Partnering with the City of Miami Beach, the foundation leads several initiatives to help disabled individuals and children with special needs, including Adaptive Beach Days. On the third Sunday of every month from late April through November at Allison Park in North Beach, attendees use wheelchair-friendly mats to reach the beach and enjoy music, dancing, arts and crafts and more. Trained volunteers assist attendees with getting in the water, and there’s also the opportunity to play adaptive sports, like surfing and snorkeling.

Gallop Through the Miami Countryside

Assisted equine activities are at the heart of Whispering Manes Therapeutic Riding Center in Kendale Lakes, which caters to those with physical, cognitive and emotional challenges. The center offers therapeutic horseback riding lessons and horsemanship classes supervised by PATH Intl.-certified professionals. The classes are designed for anyone 5 and older to learn independent riding skills, which can lead to improved overall muscle strength, balance and fine motor skills. Classes are by appointment. Participants will undergo a pre-evaluation.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

The Miami Beach Rowing Club was the first rowing club in Florida to receive the designation as a Paralympic Sport Club by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Through the club’s adaptive rowing program, people with all disabilities can enjoy rowing or even train with the coaching staff to compete in meets.

Glide Across the Ice

The adaptive ice skating program at Barbara Medina Ice Rink in the Scott Rakow Youth Center in South Beach takes place on the first and third Sunday of every month from 10 a.m. to noon; sessions last 30 minutes. You will need to register for the program, which is free for Miami Beach residents. There’s a fee for nonresidents.

Send the Bowling Pins Flying

Also at the Scott Rakow Youth Center, adaptive bowling is free for Miami Beach residents (there’s a fee for nonresidents). On Monday mornings, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and the first and third Wednesday evenings of the month, from 6:30-8 p.m., lanes are reserved for adaptive bowling.

Programs Offered by the Miami-Dade Therapeutic Recreation & Inclusion Program

The Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department’s Therapeutic Recreation & Inclusion Program offers a wide range of activities for residents and nonresidents. You can request information about any of their programs.

Swimming Lessons & Fitness Swims

People of all ages with disabilities can learn how to swim and work on gaining physical strength or practice gait training in the water. Swimming lessons and fitness swims with Red Cross-certified instructors take place at the A.D. (Doug) Barnes Park pool in Coral Terrace on Saturdays in the spring and fall. Advanced registration is required. The fee is $40 for eight group sessions and $150 for eight individual lessons. There’s also a $15 annual registration fee.

Sports Training

Basketball, soccer, track and field, swimming, softball and bowling lessons are given on Fridays throughout the year from 3:30-5 p.m. at A.D. (Doug) Barnes Park. After an initial assessment, the cost is $80 a month plus a $15 annual registration fee.

Adaptive Archery

For adults with disabilities who want to learn archery, introductory classes are held on the first and third Tuesday of every month from September to April at Camp Matecumbe in The Hammocks, west of Kendall. All equipment is provided. There’s a $15 annual registration fee.

Adaptive Handcycling

At Tamiami Park near Westchester, youth and adults with disabilities can try the exciting sport of handcycling (cycling with your arms and upper body), which helps with physical conditioning. Equipment is provided, and the handcycle is fitted to each individual. Staff and volunteers are on hand to coach attendees, and the weekly sessions are free.

VICTOR Adapted Sports Program

Disabled U.S. veterans can take part in the free VICTOR Adapted Sports Program. A wide variety of activities are offered, including fishing, kayaking, boccia, trap shooting, archery, pickleball, swimming, golf, cycling and more. Days and times vary, and the activities are free and take place across the destination. You must pre-register.

S.T.A.R.S Skills Training for Autism Recreational Sports

Autistic individuals from 6 to 19 years old can take recreational sports training classes on Saturday mornings from October through May. Classes take place at Tamiami Park. The cost is $40 for eight group sessions, plus the annual registration fee of $15. 

Learn more about accessibility in Miami.