ASF Is Ready To Shred At First Adaptive Skateboard Camp

WINDHAM —  The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) will be hosting its first of six Adaptive Skateboard Camps this upcoming Saturday, June 15.

2024 will be the fourth year that the ASF is holding adaptive skateboard lessons, and it will be the second year it will utilize the Tannersville Skatepark. The ASF has hired local professional skateboarder Johnny O’Connor, professional skateboard coach Frank Cabrera and more pro-level skateboard coaches to offer its students the best training available, no matter the participant’s experience.

“The joy of watching progression and the celebration of such progression is the thing I enjoy most about coaching at these camps,” Cabrera said. “From the athletes who have attended the camps over the years and are full-blown skateboarders to the first-time participants, when they ride and something clicks, and they leave hugging that skateboard, you know they just made a friend for life.” 

In addition to this Saturday’s camp, the ASF will host five other Adaptive Skateboard Camps this summer. There will be two camps in both July (July 13 and 27) and August (August 10 and 24). The sixth and final skateboard camp will take place on September 14. Each camp will run from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. with a break in the middle for a barbecue lunch, provided by the Elder family. 

Participants are encouraged to bring snacks, sunscreen, a sweatshirt or jacket, sturdy footwear, personal items that may be needed during the day, a skateboard and gear. If students don’t have their own equipment, that isn’t a problem. The ASF has boards and gear that it can rent out to participants.

“The students have a very genuine transfer of emotions. There’s no hiding the joy when they figure something out, there’s no hiding the frustration either, but there’s no denying the progression just in the few hours from the athlete when they’re hesitant to step onto the board to the end of the day when they don’t want to get off it,” Cabrera explained. “The students’ joy is the best compensation you can get for any work you do. The reward of seeing your efforts making somebody’s day is fantastic.”

Participants can sign up for the remaining five camp days. For more information on the ASF’s Adaptive Skateboard Camps and to sign up, visit www.adaptivesportsfoundation.org/summer-programs/.