What is Spaulding?

Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers (SASC) is a community and clinical–based adaptive sports program located in the Massachusetts coastal regions. SASC is part of the Mass General Brigham’s Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. We offer year-round, in-person adaptive sports and virtual adaptive fitness programs to community members as well as inpatients and outpatients within the Spaulding hospitals.

How long has Spaulding worked with NCHPAD?

Spaulding Adaptive Sports has worked with NCHPAD since 2020. We were one of five organizations that piloted the MENTOR program.

What do you all do with NCHPAD?

Spaulding Adaptive Sports recruits participants for MENTOR and has a staff member, Hayley Brown, as one of MENTOR’s health coaches. Hayley recruits and onboards clients and implements programs year-round.

What are some services you provide that people may not know about?

Many people think they can only participate in Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers if they have received care from one of our facilities. However, we are open to anyone in our community. We provide over 20 adaptive sports in three main regions of Massachusetts, including the Boston metro region, Cape Cod and the North Shore region. Our sports vary per season, including water sports in the summer, skiing/snowboarding in the wintertime, and year-round cycling thanks to indoor spin classes.

How are you going above-and-beyond for participants?

At Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers, we are very goal-oriented, which allows us to make each session individualized to the client that participates in our programs. We want to know what each person values and is getting out of the sport/fitness session.   

What are some of your most popular adaptive activities for participants?

• Summer/fall season: Kayaking, cycling, pickleball, outdoor archery and golf are most popular.
• Winter/spring season: Skiing/snowboarding, indoor spin classes, adaptive swim, sled hockey and air rifle are our most popular winter programs.
• Year-round sports/programs: Virtual yoga classes, virtual fitness classes, mountain biking, golf and cycling can be done year-round with SASC.

What goals does Spaulding hope to achieve for NCHPAD/MENTOR participants?

The biggest goal is expanding knowledge of community resources and empowering clients to take the tools learned in MENTOR to make healthy gains in their lives.

How is Spaulding staying on the cutting edge in this field?

We value research, training and quality care with all of our programs. We are pushing the limits of access and creating more adaptive programs as we see the need for our community.

What can participants expect to take away from in-person or virtual activities at Spaulding?

We value each person who comes to our programs and hope they leave our programs with a sense of enjoyment, accomplishment, community and a smile.

How has your partnership with NCHPAD benefited Spaulding?

• NCHPAD Connect and MENTOR fall into Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers Pillars: Education, Advocacy, Outreach and Research.
• The partnership connects us to a national network of like-minded organizations and rehabilitation hospitals.
• Provides amazing lifelong resources and opportunities for individuals who have gone through our programs.

How can people find Spaulding and learn more about your services?

• Our website: https://sasc.spauldingrehab.org/