BOISE, Idaho — Boise State Athletics is making strides toward better inclusion for all students.
The Adaptive Athletics program has been in the works since 2020 and is now an official program in the BSU Department of Kinesiology.
Boise State Adaptive Athletics, or BSAA, is one of only two university adaptive athletic programs in the northwest. The other is at Eastern Washington University.
Steven Baxter, BSAA Director, said, "The biggest thing right now is the lack of students. So, we’re recruiting and fundraising."
Baxter volunteers for his position as director and coach. He is dedicated to giving athletes with physical disabilities equal resources and opportunities.
"We're about to the point where we're going to be offering scholarships to student-athletes, which is huge. Because student-athletes with a disability should be able to compete and get opportunities like scholarships, just like any other able-bodied counterparts," Baxter told KTVB Friday.
As of now, the only official BSU adaptive team is tennis. However, the BSAA is prioritizing finding teams for track and basketball as well.
One of the challenges faced in the adaptive sports program is higher costs, ultimately requiring more fundraising.
Baxter explained, "With adaptive sports, you need a lot of adaptive equipment. The chairs, for example, that these guys are playing in can often cost anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000. So, when you're looking at a team level, and you're looking at, you know, five to ten players, it can be prohibitive as far as cost."
The program is looking for a mix of adaptive and able-bodied players, including students, staff, and even volunteer affiliates of Boise State University.
Steven Baxter is a two-time BSU graduate himself and committed to expanding the adaptive athletic community both at BSU and throughout Boise.
Despite dedicating many hours to creating and growing this program, he said he would "continue to do it without being paid, you know, even if we get to a point where we're offering paid positions and scholarships and stuff like that. I'll probably continue just to do it for the love of it."
The program wants to build a pathway to participate in adaptive sports from a young age, leading to college and potentially the elite level.
The program currently relies on private donors and grants from national governing bodies for funding.
Matches for the tennis team are now ongoing, and we welcome anyone to attend in support. Baxter and his team encourage individuals to reach out and get involved in one of the many opportunities available.