Source: Suncoast News
By JOHN C. COTEY, Wesley Chapel Beacon, Oct 4, 2023, Updated Oct 5, 2023

WESLEY CHAPEL — Jill Bosack remembers how hard it was to find a sport for her son Jake to play. For someone who had been diagnosed with autism, there were options, but they were so scattered around the county it was hard to find it all and make a choice.

So Bosack is doing something to make things easier for parents like her. On Sunday, Oct. 8, she is helping host the first adaptive and special needs sports fair at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex, which is teaming up with the Pasco Adaptive & Inclusive Recreating (PAIR) for the event.

The sports fair is free, and will be held from noon-4 p.m.

Bosack, the tumbling director at the sports campus, is using her years of experience as a gymnastics coach and advocate of special needs athletes to bring as many leagues and organizations that offer sports for special needs children together as she can.

As importantly, the event will give parents of those children clear choices and even a chance to test some of the sports out.

There will be chances for kids to try out sports like archery, tennis and gymnastics, to name a few, connecting parents to possibilities they may not have known even existed.

“Parents can come and see what the activity is about, see if their child would be able to participate and move forward with it,” Bosack said. “Because I will tell you, that that was the most frustrating thing for me was taking my child to an activity that I didn’t even know if they had the resources to support his exceptionality … the special needs community can know that are available, and then even have an opportunity to try them before you start bringing your child to that activity.”

Bosack is hoping to the take the frustration out of the process for parents.

Here are some of the sports that will have representatives on hand:

Tennis (Adaptive/Inclusive) by Love Serving Autism

Basketball (Inclusive, offered by Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus)

Trampoline and Tumbling (inclusive, offered by Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus)

Archery (Adaptive/Inclusive)

E-Sports (Adaptive/Inclusive)

Cheer (Adaptive/Inclusive, offered by South Pasco Predators)

Inclusive synchronized swimming and competitive swimming, as well as lessons (offered by Florida Elite)

CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities) at USF

Special Olympics Florida (Area 5)

Rhythmic Gymnastics (Tampa Bay Rhythmics)

Swoll Camp (Weight Training/Fitness, Inclusive, Lessons)

“It’s a resource fair,” Bosack said. “This is the first one. I really think this is something that can grow.”

Bosack has been a gymnastics coach since she was 14, and she says she stood up at her kindergarten graduation and told the whole class that when she grew up, that is what she wanted to be.

She ran a gym in Land O’Lakes for 20 years before closing it to spend more time with her son. She is heavily involved in USA Gymnastics, and even before she learned of Jake’s diagnosis, she had been offering special needs classes at her gym.

When Jake was 4 years old, she found out while looking for an activity for him to participate in that USA Gymnastics did not offer anything for special needs males in the sport.

She called and suggested it start a trampoline and tumbling option for boys.

“And they said, well write up the rules, and we’ll take a look at it,” Bosack said. So, she did, it was accepted, and she says Jake was the first male in the country to compete on the trampoline and tumbling floor for USA Gymnastics.

Last month, Jake won national championships in all the events he competed in.

Bosack said that being the parent of a special needs child can often be very isolating, especially when there aren’t as many clear choices.

Rarely is there someone reaching out with what she basically calls a “silver platter” of options. That’s what Sunday will be, she says.

“We just want families to know that all these activities are available throughout Pasco County and the surrounding areas,” Bosack said.

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Source: Suncoast News