Volunteer Activities

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TYPES OF VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

Adaptive Skiing / Snowboarding

Give your edge a purpose! Volunteer with ASC! All volunteers receive free lift tickets and rentals for the entire day they volunteer. Volunteer sessions typically last about 3 hours so this gives you plenty of time for skiing for free!

Adaptive ski and snowboard volunteers provide a safe, fun, and positive learning experience for Adaptive Sports Connection’s program participants. As a volunteer, you will be paired with an experienced instructor and will use lesson plans and outlines to help participants improve their skills on the snow, complete regular progress reports to track their successes, and comply with all program safety regulations.

What to expect:

Volunteers are paired with experienced instructors to provide a safe, fun, and positive experience for ASC’s program participants.

Volunteers will use lesson plans and outlines to help participants improve their skills on the snow, complete regular progress reports to track their successes, and comply with all program safety regulations.

Volunteers of any skiing or snowboarding ability are welcome and will be matched with instructors and participants according to their skills.

Ski and board volunteers are required to attend one volunteer training.

Minimum age to volunteer is 16, however younger volunteers are welcome with direct onsite parent supervision.

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Training:

Ski and board volunteers are required to attend one dryland training (typically offered in October and November) and up to two days of on-hill training (weekends in December as soon as the hills are open). Training requirements decrease with volunteer experience.

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Cycling

Give your pedal a purpose! There are many ways to team up with ASC by getting involved in our cycling programs.

There are a number of ways to get involved in our cycling programs, ranging from working with children to teach them how to ride a bike, to being a buddy rider to athletes in our bike programs. Volunteers are needed to assist with cycle maintenance, basic bike fittings, and to be a buddy rider with a participant and their family if needed.

Minimum age to volunteer is 16. Children under 16 are welcome to volunteer alongside a parent or guardian. Basic cycling knowledge is helpful but not required.

Discover Cycling:

Discover Cycling is for adults with physical disabilities or people 24y/o+ with developmental disabilities to work with therapists from Ohio State Martha Morehouse for a full bike evaluation and an opportunity to ride adaptive bikes. Opportunities to pursue adaptive equipment grants are also available in this program.

Westerville Group Rides:

We offer bike rides at Glacier Ridge Metro Park on the second and fourth Saturday from May – September for participants with disabilities and their families. Volunteers are needed to assist with cycle maintenance, basic bike fittings, and to be a buddy rider with a participant and their family if needed.

Discover Mountain Biking:

Work to fit participants with disabilities on an adaptive mountain bike and learn the basics of mountain bike in conjunction with Central Ohio Mountain Biking Organization (COMBO). This clinic will take place at the Alum Creek Phase 1 Mountain Bike trail. This is a basic beginner trail, ideal for learning. Clinics take place every other Sunday May-October. Many styles of adaptive bikes are available including recumbent, 3- wheeled, and hand powered. Volunteers will act as equipment fitters, buddy riders, maintenance techs, and instructors.

One-Time Events/Demo Days:

We host numerous one-time cycling days to our Custom Events partners as well as Demo Days where participants can come try our cycles for free. Volunteers are often needed to help setup cycles, assist participants in selecting a cycle, making adjustments to the bike, and guiding participants as they ride. These events are held periodically throughout the year. Check our Volunteer Event Calendar for specific dates!

Kayaking

Give your paddle a purpose while assisting participants with advancing their paddling skills.

Kayaking volunteers will act as equipment handlers, safety managers, companion paddlers, and captains of tandem kayaks and provide overall supervision of participants on the water. We offer an open kayaking program twice a week from June-September.

In addition to our weekly paddling sessions, we offer several daytime kayak event through our Custom Event partners throughout the week. We also hold monthly offsite adventure kayak trips.

Minimum age to volunteer is 16, however younger volunteers are welcome with direct onsite parent supervision.

Training:

New volunteers are required to attend one dry-land training and one on-water training in May. Optional in-pool sessions are also available for new volunteers to get more comfortable in a kayak or for returning volunteers to learn advanced rescue techniques. Additionally, Adaptive Sports Connection will offer additional on-water training once a month June-August.

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Sailing

Sail for a purpose with Adaptive Sports Connection!

The Small Boat Sailing Program is a fun opportunity for participants and volunteers to try something new and learn to sail, share sailing skills and knowledge they already have, or just get out on the water and have fun!

Volunteers will serve as general help, Shore Help (with the sailboats), sailboat Crew, or Skippers depending on their skills, training, and desire. Sailing programs for participants will take place on Saturdays during the summer and occasionally on a weekday if we have enough volunteers with weekday availability. The sailing program may extend into the fall depending upon weather and volunteer availability. Volunteers of all skill levels and interests are needed to make sailing events fun and safe for all.

Minimum age to volunteer is 16, however younger volunteers are welcome with direct onsite parent supervision.

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Training:

Volunteers will be trained in all necessary areas to reach the level of training they desire to achieve.There will be preseason on land and in water training for anybody interested in the sailing program. Check out the Volunteer Calendar for dates and times. Additional on-request sailing training and practice throughout the season will be available to give volunteers as many practice and skill building opportunities as possible. More written resources are available on the Training and Resources page.

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