DisAbility Sports Festival returns to CSUSB Saturday, Oct. 3

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SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Basketball, tennis and swimming are among the activities featured during the day-long DisAbility Sports Festival on Oct. 3 at Cal State San Bernardino.

Conducted in and around the university's Coussoulis Arena, the festival runs from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and is free. Complimentary parking is available in Lot G.

As part of the opening ceremonies, a group from the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Long Beach and the Paralyzed Veterans of America will be honored.

The one-day event, originally launched in 2007, is in its third consecutive year. Created and organized by Aaron Moffett, assistant professor of kinesiology at CSUSB, the event promotes physical activity and sports for people with disabilities of all ages.

The DisAbility Sports Festival also raises awareness of disability sports and physical activity in the Inland Empire. A variety of sports will be included in the event, and all the sports will be adapted to accommodate the respective disabilities.

"We want to give athletes in the Inland Empire an event where they can compete in sports such as wheelchair and standing basketball, tennis, soccer, wall climbing, swimming, hand cycling and more," Moffett said. "Each sport will be directed and coached by people with disabilities. It's a real display of all our abilities."

Several local Paralympians will be speaking and coaching at the event. Moffett was a representative of the U.S. Paralympic Academy at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Bruce Cornell, an elite outdoorsman, will be the keynote speaker. Mark Wellman, a Paralympian who lit the torch at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, will coach wall climbing.

In addition, Anthony Zahn, a 2008 Paralympic bronze medalist, will be the head coach for cycling, and Anthony Lara, a wheelchair athlete who competed in the Beijing Paralympics and was a table tennis contestant in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, will be the coach for tennis along with fellow Paralympian Kaitlyn Verfuerth. Anthony Marquez, although not a Paralympian, is an elite disabled coach and will guide the martial arts contestants.

Contestants, parents of child contestants, sponsors and volunteers in the festival should register immediately to be a part of the event. While registration will also be held on the day of the event, participants will receive meals and a commemorative T-shirt if registered by Friday, Sept. 25.

For more information on competing, sponsoring or volunteering, contact Aaron Moffett, CSUSB professor of kinesiology, at (909) 537-5357 or e-mail him at amoffett@csusb.edu.

More information is available at the DisAbility Sports Festival Web site.

For more information, contact the university's Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news@csusb.edu.

Basketball, tennis and swimming are among the activities featured during the day-long DisAbility Sports Festival on Oct. 3 at Cal State San Bernardino.