September 2025 E-newsletter
Executive Director's Message: Autumn is Here and so is Miracle Sports Kickball
Miracle Sports 2025/2026 Season Kicks Off!
Autumn has arrived, even if the weather hasn’t quite caught up. And along with Autumn comes Miracle Sports Kickball!
If you haven’t already done so, it is time to register for the 2025/2026 Miracle Sports Season. Remember, even if you registered and played in 2024/25, you need to register for the new season which includes, Kickball (Fall), Baseball (Spring), and Tennis (Summer) Click here to register for the 2025/26 Season.
Kickball Information:
Dates: Thursday Nights through November 13, 2025
Special Dates: October 30—Halloween Around the Bases (costumes optional, but fun!)
November 13—Seminole Showdown!
Times: Youth 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Adults 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Miracle Field at Messer Park (Field #3 1158-1172 Dupree Street, Tallahassee, FL 32304)
We hope you will join us at Miracle Field!
Big Kahuna: Your Support Helps Support Our Programs!
The Big Kahuna is a fundraising event for SportsAbility Alliance to support inclusive and accessible recreation and wellness programs for people of all ages and abilities. It is a fun, team- building event that is sure to include a ton of laughs. Your friends, club, co-workers are all welcome to join in while supporting an excellent cause.
Date: November 16, 2025
Location: Lake Hall at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens (3540 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, FL 32309)
Entry Fee: $500/team (10-14 people per team)
Race Time: 2:00 pm to approximately 4:00 pm
Practice Time: 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm If teams would like to come out and practice, they may do so between these hours. Teams that are able to paddle in unison and work together will be most successful.
Crew: 10-14 people are considered a crew. Crews can be made up of clubs, coworkers, or groups of friends! Volunteers will be on hand to complete your boat if you do not have enough team members.
Click here for more information and to register.
Get a team together and come join us!
Miracle Sports Tennis—Wrap-up
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Miracle Sports Tennis in July. We had a great turn out and a great time!
A very special thank you to George English with USTA for facilitating the fun. Thank you, also to Holy Comforter Episcopal School for allowing us to use their gym; it is wonderful space, and we so appreciate being able to use it. Our friends from the Kiwanis Clubs of the Big Bend once again provided support and yummy snacks—thank you! Sam Pate, our favorite photographer, was there with his cameras—snapping away and adding paparazzi glamor to the games! And of course, we so appreciate our interns—Ayrianna and Harmony--as well as the volunteers, family members, and others who came and pitched in playing tennis, chasing runaway balls, and making sure the athletes had fun!
Autumn = Outdoor Fun!
As the seasons change from the heat and humidity of summer to the cool and crispness of Autumn, we encourage you to get outside and be active. Visit our website for all of our activities and programs. We look forward to seeing you soon!
 Fodder from the Founder: David Jones
It has been a great 35 years for SportsAbility and the good times continue.
It has been 35 years for both the organization as well as the event. The Florida Disabled Outdoors Association (FDOA) was created in 1990, as was the SportsAbility Expo - which is still our signature event. It has been more successful than we could have imagined way back in 1990. In fact, the event had become so popular and highly recognized that people began to identify the FDOA as “SportsAbility”. We decided that if people thought we were SportsAbility and perception is reality, we were just that. Several years ago the FDOA rebranded and started doing business as (dba) the SportsAbility Alliance (SAA). The SAA is still the FDOA with all of the original objectives but has become so much more over the years.
I believe that this successful and enjoyable run is really due to our early, and often, efforts to collaborate. We had developed relationships and partnered with lots of like-minded people and organizations that helped us to be so successful. We have enjoyed and appreciate all of the longtime supporters and all that have contributed to the Alliance over the years and up to the present day. Our mission remains the same, simply put, we strive to enhance lives through the inclusion of people with disabilities in recreation and active lifestyles. The opportunity for all to participate is what we advocate for. “Advocacy and Outreach” is a major component of our work. We devote a lot of time and resources to it. We always try to help others with their advocacy efforts. These include not just for disability and recreation but also events and activities in other fields like health, rehabilitation, conservation, travel, and other educational efforts. Disability inclusion is important in all areas of life.
I recently had the opportunity to participate and assist in presenting educational sessions with both the Florida and the National Recreation and Parks Associations (FRPA) and (NRPA) in Orlando for their annual conferences. We presented on recreation inclusion, physical and programmatic access in collaboration with Greenfields Outdoor Fitness and several other disability experts. I also just recently presented an online webinar for Florida DEP, Greenways and Trails, on Outdoor Recreation Inclusion, which can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b89F2dauIfE&feature=youtu.be. We did a short inclusion educational piece with best practices, and shared examples of what we have done. We also highlighted some efforts of two of our long-time partner agencies, Florida State Parks, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. We have partnered with the Family Cafe for many years and also participate in other disability conferences in Jacksonville and Panama City every year.
We firmly believe that two of the biggest barriers to inclusion are lack of knowledge, both of providers and of the consumers, of recreation services and the lack of physical access to the places to recreate. We strive to overcome both of these with advocacy, education, training, and better communications. Our alliance list with partners is long and growing. We are anxious to hear from other organizations that we may assist or join forces with. Please reach out to us. We also know that advocacy efforts from people and families with disabilities are strong influencers. Your participation in the opportunities provided is a strong voice for recreation inclusion.
Events
Miracle Sports - Kickball
Join us for kickball this fall out at Miracle Field at Messer Park in Tallahassee. We play Thursday evenings through November 13, 2025. We have a fun filled season with events including a Costume Party on October 30 and the Seminole Showdown on November 13!
Everyone is welcome to play. No prior experience is necessary. All Ages & All Abilities!
This is a brand-new season, so everyone needs to register!
Date(s): Thursday evenings through November 13, 2025
Location: Miracle Field at Messer Park (Field #3 1158-1172 Dupree Street, Tallahassee, FL 32304)
SportsAbility Events
- ALLOUT EcoRover Adventures - dates available for trail rides and beach adventures throughout the year around Florida!
- Miracle Sports Kickball- Thursday evenings, through November 13. Youth play 6pm-7pm, Adults play 7pm-8pm.
- Big Kahuna - SportsAbility's Annual Fundraiser! Join us on Sunday, November 16th for a fun filled paddle to help raise money for a great cause!
- SportsAbility 2026 - Save the Date: April 17-18, 2026! Our FREE 2 Day SportsAbility event is back in 2026. More information and details coming soon!
September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month: Spotlight on Our Board President, Gordon Palmer
This spotlight post was written by Kasara Barto, our Director of Communications and Events. 
A spinal cord injury (SCI) can happen in an instant. One moment life is moving forward as expected, and the next second, everything could change. But an SCI does not mean life is over—it means life is different. With determination, support, and resilience, new doors can open.
At SportsAbility Alliance, we are proud to recognize Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month by highlighting the journey and leadership of our Board President, Gordon Palmer.
Continue Reading
Resources
Information for People with a Spinal Cord Injury
English | Spanish
Information for People with a Brain Injury
English | Spanish
Follow Us
Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
|
