Adapted Aquatics:

Center for Therapeutic Recreation, 222 St. John St. Suite 254, Portland, ME 04102 (207)-0504: The "center" provides instructional and therapeutic swimming programs to children and adults with disabilities. Other services include leisure assessment, recreation inclusion strategies and crafts instruction. The center has had extensive involvement with young children, school systems and IEP planning.

Therapeutic pools:

For many persons with disabilities warm water "therapeutic" pools facilitate their ability to swim or exercise. The following organizations have warm water pools that have stairs, ramps and/or lifts to facilitate entry into the water. Some have fully accessible locker and shower rooms including shower chairs for wheelchair users. Many offer programs such as water aerobics and arthritis exercise. Fees are required for pool use by most of the organizations. Municipal pools have not been included in this list. Contact your city or town's Recreation Department for access information about municipal pools.

Bangor-Brewer YWCA, 17 Second St., Bangor, ME. (207) 941-2808: A variety of swimming and exercise classes including "healthy back" and arthritis exercise are offered in the 85-degree pool which can be accessed by stairs or a hydraulic lift. The locker room areas are reported to be accessible with access to a transfer chair for showering,

Cumberland County YMCA: Casco Bay Branch, 14 Old South Freeport Rd., Freeport, Maine, (207) 865-9600. This YMCA has two pools, a warm water (87-degree), therapeutic pool in which arthritis exercises and other classes are offered and a cooler lap pool. The locker room and showers are fully accessible.

Oldtown YMCA, 501 Stillwater Avenue, Oldtown, ME (207) 827-6111. Aquatics programs including "aqua jog" and arthritis exercise are offered in the 87-degree pool which can be accessed by a ramp. A ramp pool chair is available. The locker rooms are reported to be accessible with access to a transfer chair for showering.

Northern York YMCA, Biddeford, ME (207) 283-0100. Two pools are available. The smaller, 88-degree therapeutic pool is used for arthritis exercise and aerobics programs and has ramp and stair access. The locker room area has been reported to be accessible with an accessible shower.

Piscataquis Valley YMCA, Dover-Foxcroft, ME, (207) 564-7111. This 86-degree pool can be accessed by stairs or a lift. The locker room has been reported to be accessible. Call for program options.

University of Maine Health Center Pool, Farmington, ME, (207) 778-7139. This 84 degree pool can be accessed by stairs, ramp or lift. The locker rooms are reported to be accessible with handicapped shower access. Contact the center for program options.

Waterville YMCA, 126 North St., Waterville, (207) 873-0684. This YMCA has two pools, a 90-degree therapy pool and a cooler lap pool. The therapy pool is accessed by stairs or ramp. The locker rooms are reported to be accessible with a transfer chair available for showers. Contact the YMCA for information about programs.

Bowling:

Port Resources Bowling League (www.portresources.org) is primarily for persons with developmental disabilities but persons with other types of disabilities may join. A variety of assistive devices are available. This candlepin league meets during the winter at the Colonial Bowling Center 399 Maine St., Westbrook, ME. Contact the Port Resources Inc. "Recreation Coordinator" at 828-0048 for information.

Special Olympics Maine Unified Sports: Bowling (www.specialolympicsmaine.org). Unified sport programs consist of teams made up of approximately equal numbers of persons with and without mental retardation who compete against other unified sport teams. For information about bowling opportunities, call the Special Olympics Office at (207) 879-0489.

Vacationland Bowling and Recreation Center, 812 Portland Road (Rt. 1), Saco, ME. Half of the center's 32 candlepin, lanes have been built flat so that they are accessible by wheelchair users. A wooden bowling ramp is available, as are bumpers to prevent gutter balls. For information call the center at 284-7386.

Yankee Lanes, 867 Riverside St., Portland, ME, all of the ten pin alleys have been built without steps making them accessible for wheelchair users and others with mobility impairments. A large number of accessible parking spaces are also provided adjacent to the building entrance.

Golf:

Casco Bay YMCA Adaptive Golf Program:  Adaptive golf instruction is carried out at the Toddy Brook Golf course in North Yarmouth.  For information about the Casco Bay YMCA's special services programs, including golf, visit the Y's website at (www.cascobayymca.org/), then "click" on "Casco Bay Branch", then "Programs" and last, "Adaptive Services".

Special Olympics Maine Unified Sports: Golf (www.specialolympicsmaine.org). Unified sport programs consist of teams made up of approximately equal numbers of persons with and without mental retardation who compete against other unified sport teams. For information about golf opportunities, call the Special Olympics Office at (207) 879-0489.

Toddy Brook Golf Course, Sligo Road (off Rt. 9), North Yarmouth, ME. This course has two "swivel-seat", golf carts that can be used to play golf from a sitting position if you are unable to walk. For information about cart availability call (207) 829-5100.

Ice Sports:

Rink Link ice hockey for persons with disabilities is promoted by Alpha One of South Portland and Brewer, ME (www.alphaonenow.com). Rink Link affiliated programs currently include ice hockey competition,recreational skating for children and adults with developmental disabilities, sled hockey competition for persons who have mobility impairments that prevent them from playing hockey from a standing position and wheelchair curling. The first two programs are offered at the "Family Ice Center" in Falmouth, ME. Northeast Passage provides the sled hockey instruction. The curling program is affiliated with the Belfast, ME Curling Club. For information about Rink Link programs contact Wes Smith, Alpha One, at (800) 300-6016 or (wsmith@alphaonenow.com)

Portland Sled Hockey Pirates is a competitive sled hockey team that conducts practices in Falmouth.  The "Pirates" are part of the larger Maine Sled Hockey Program (www.mainesledhockey.org) that sponsors sled hockey education and practice programs in Augusta, Bangor, and Falmouth.  The Maine Sled Hockey Program is open to players aged 15 and above with lower leg and mobility-related disabilities or injuries as well as to thier non-disabled family members and friends.

Martial Arts:

Natural Motion Martial Arts (www.naturalmotionmartialarts.com) (207) 885-5017) offers several types of martial arts programs focusing primarily on Kenpo karate. The programs are open to adults and children with physical or other challenges. The founder, Shawn Withers who is also one of the program instructors, is a stroke survivor who has earned a black belt in karate. The program is affiliated with the Northern Chi Martial Arts Center located at 650 Maine St. (Rt. 1), South Portland, ME.

Softball:

Port Resources Softball League (www.portresources.org)This Portland area summer league is primarily for persons with developmental disabilities, however, persons with other types of disabilities may join. Contact the Port Resources Inc. "Recreation Coordinator" at 828-0048 for information.

Special Olympics Maine Softball (www.specialolympicsmaine.org): Special Olympics softball is available to persons with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. For information about softball opportunities, call the South Portland Office of Special Olympics at (207) 879-0489.

Wheelchair Sports:

Participants do not have to be full time, wheelchair users in order to participate in most wheelchair sports. Participants do need to have mobility impairments that prevent them from participating on an able-bodied sport team. Wheelchair sports teams are often coeducational and can be composed of players from a wide age range.

Quad Rugby:

The Casco Bay Navigatory (www.mainequadrugby.com):  This team practices in the greater Portland area.  For more information contact team manager Bill Bouffard at (207) 797-2510 or (WHBouffard@Unum.com).

Northeast Passage Wildcats:  In 2007 the maine and Massachusetts cometitive Quad Rugby teams, the Casco Bay Navigators and the Boston Pit Bulls, merged into one team.  This team plays out of Nothereast Passage in New Hampshire and is now called the Northeast Passage Wildcats.  To learn about the team and its practice and gam schedules, go to the Northeast passage web site at (www.northeastpassage.org/) and look under "Programs: Sports & Recreation".

Wheelchair Basketball:

The High Rollers:  This Bangor area team practiced at the Old Town YMCA but has disbanded.  For information, contact Wes Smigh, Alpha ONE, at 1(800)300-6016 or (wasmith@alphaonenow.com).

The LA Wheelers: This Lewiston-Auburn/Augusta area team practices at the Togus, Veteran's Medical Center. For information, contact coach Beaulieu at beaulieu@powerlink.net or Wes Smith at Alpha One (800) 300-6016 (wsmith@alphaonenow.com).

Wheelchair Tennis:

Wheelchair Tennis of Maine: Wheelchair tennis clinics, practices and competitions are held year round in the Bangor and Portland areas. Contact Wes Smith, Alpha One at (800) 300-6016 or (wsmith@alphaonenow.com) for information.