The Relationship of Adaptive Sport Participation on Sense of Community and Community Integration

Abstract

This study examines how the frequency and duration of adaptive sports participation relates to community integration and sense of community among recreational athletes with disabilities. Research suggests that community integration is an essential factor for positive experiences as well as a key quality of life component in the lives of people with disabilities (Dijkers, 1998; Stancliffe, Emerson, & Lakin, 2001). Similarly, sense of community in sports can lead to an increased sense of well-being and belonging, even among those with diverse backgrounds (Wolf-Wendel, Toma, & Morphew, 2001). These outcomes are critically important for people who are typically stigmatized, such as people with disabilities. According to the World Health Organization (2011), having a disability is “part of the human condition” and this population represents the “largest minority group in the United States” (Piatt & Jorgenson, 2012). While both community integration and sense of community can be products of recreation participation, little research has investigated how the constructs interact with one another. Participants of an adaptive recreational sport organization in Aspen, Colorado were invited to complete a survey assessing (a) their seasonal adaptive recreational activities, (b) scores on the Sense of Community in Sport Scale, and (c) scores on the Community Integration Measure. Analysis examined the relationships between adaptive sport participation, community integration, and sense of community.