Fall and Miracle Sports Kickball are Here!

Miracle Sports 2026/2027 Season Kicks Off!
There is a tiny bit of coolness in the air. And with that change in the weather, comes comes Miracle Sports Kickball!
If you haven’t already done so, it is time to register for the 2026/2027 Miracle Sports Season. Remember, even if you registered and played in 2025/26, you need to register for the new season which includes, Kickball (Fall), Baseball (Spring), and Tennis/Pickleball (Summer) Click here to register for the 2026/27 Season.

Kickball Information:
Dates: Thursday Nights through November 12, 2026
Special Dates: October 29—Halloween Around the Bases (costumes optional, but fun!)
November 12—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!

Miracle Sports Tennis and Pickleball—Wrap-up
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Miracle Sports in July. This year, in addition to tennis, athletes could also play Pickleball!

A very special thank you to George English with USTA for facilitating the fun, and to the
Tallahassee Pickleball Association for their support and equipment donations. 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. The Kiwanis Clubs of the Big Bend once again provided yummy snacks—thank you! And of course, we so appreciate our intern—Ayrianna--as well as the volunteers, family members, and others who came and pitched in playing, chasing runaway balls, and making sure the athletes had fun!

Virtual Workout
We continue to partner with the Spirt Club to offer Fitness Friday workouts at 11:00 am Eastern Time. These workouts show 3 different adaptations for each exercise, so ANYONE can do it! Check it out on the SportsAbility Alliance Facebook page. Don’t worry if you miss one—the workout is available all week on-demand.

Fall Weather Encourages Outdoor Fun!
As the seasons change from the humidity and heat of Summer to the cool and crispness of Fall, 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!

New Sampler Event in Lake Wales, FL
We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Removing the Barriers, Ann’s Angels, Lake Auora, and Visit Central Florida to hold a one-day outdoor activity event. The Peace and PossAbilities Expo is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2026. This free event is open to the public and includes a Resource Expo along with a variety of adaptive activities including sit water-sking, horseback riding, ziplining, paddleboards, boat rides, archery, lawn games, wheelchair basketball, fishing, EcoRover Trail rides, and so much more!
Date: November 7, 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Fee: Free and open to all ages and all abilities
Location: Lake Aurora Christian Camp and Retreat Center, 237 Golden Bough Road, Lake Wales, FL 33898
More information and registration can be found here: SportsAbility Sampler at Peace and PossAbilities Expo.

Stay Well and Stay Active! 

Fran Gilbert
Executive Director, SportsAbility Alliance

The old cliche still holds true.

The only constant in life is change. I personally try to keep a focus on the positives of that inevitable change and try to look ahead. I try to think about what and how we can benefit and find or create enjoyment and betterment from the changes that are coming, ready or not. I always reflect back to our four seasons when thinking of change, probably because so much of my being is with nature and outdoor activities. As we all know it's
much more than just our seasonal changes. Our SportsAbility programs and activities are always changing. The whole world is rapidly changing

As the founder and a leader of the FDOA for the many years since 1990, I try to minimize the effects of what is called the FUD factor - Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. I believe that we must continue to look into the future for opportunities to grow and flourish with an open mind and positive attitude.

Yes, even our name has changed. We are still the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association in Mission and in formality but several years back with the insight and efforts of our
past Executive Director, Laurie Gussak and our great Board of Directors, we pulled off a very difficult but a very successful task of rebranding our Organization to dba “SportsAbility Alliance”, to better reflect changes of the times and who we are and what we do.

Yes, change can be difficult but when addressed and taken proactively with like minded people, good and great things can happen. Not just for our organization but for the common good as well. We, like many other organizations, struggle with change. We do wonderfully with very limited staff and funding but we are making a difference in the lives of many. We have sustained with our popular programs and continue to add new projects and programs, always trying to move forward but not afraid to take side steps when needed.

There are lots of examples of how we have done this. I'll mention a couple. We moved the Hands helping Anglers fishing event to the Fall and we just enjoyed one of the best events ever despite the changing of ownership of the hosting marina from the longtime relationship with the Shields family. The new owners embraced our event and with the collaboration of local Rotary clubs and continued second generation volunteer involvement from John McBride and a valuable fleet of boat owners and captains that he recruited, HHA thrives.

Another current example is with our efforts to expand the SportsAbility Expo program into Central Florida, we met some major obstacles and saw the need not to stop or give up on these efforts, but to take a step sideways. One of our Advisory Board members, Bill Redmond, stepped up with an offer to take on the planned Central Florida Expo effort by his nonprofit, “Removing the Barriers” at a completely new location and date. We stepped aside to help create a new direction with a SportsAbility “Sampler” approach and are collaborating with his team and John Lipscomb with Ann’s Angels to help host the “Peace and PossAbilities Expo” next month in Auburndale Florida.

Good relationships and collaborations help make positive changes. Changes for the better, overcoming the FUD factor and embracing change. We are currently struggling with advancing our website, data and systems management onto a dashboard concept and address those changes that the whole AI revolution is bringing. FUD is even more prevalent today than ever. We will struggle and take side steps but will continue with our efforts and mission to do what we can to make a difference and make things better for all.

ACTIVE LEISURE for LIFE! 

David Jones
Founder, SportsAbility Alliance