WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (WMTV) – Each year, thousands of Wisconsin high schoolers sign up to participate in WIAA sanctioned sports. But, students with disabilities are not usually on varsity sports. Korey Kleinhans, a Hortonville adaptive physical education teacher, saw the void and decided to create an opportunity for those students, through adaptive sports.

“We feel that building these varsity programs is something that these kids can show off their capabilities, whereas most people see them for disabilities,” Kleinhans said.

Kleinhans has made it his mission to bring adaptive varsity sports to schools across Wisconsin.

“It allows them to be pretty much like everybody else,” Kleinhans said. “It allows them to be a varsity athlete and to participate in sports for their school and to walk down the hallways with their jerseys, have banners, and roster, and stats and everything that gets on the announcements and I think that’s really cool.”

Kleinhans brought the concept to his school this year. His team play adapted whiffle ball, floor hockey, and soccer.

“We have three kids on offense, three kids on defense plus a goalie,” Kleinhans said. “And they have to stay on their respective sides. And that gives them the one job to look forward to, or to have a task at hand.”

Schools in the Mississippi Valley have adaptive sports teams and they copied the model from the Minnesota.

Kleinhans was introduced to the concept during his time in grad school in Lacrosse. On Monday at Wisconsin Dells High School, Kleinhans’ greater Oshkosh-area team played a greater-La Crosse area team.

There are currently 13 schools in Wisconsin that are a part of the adaptive sports league, but Kleinhans says he wants expand.

“Could this be down the road? Possibly,” Sam Engelland, Hortonville’s Director of Activities and Athletics said. “It would take some advisory counsels for the state to go through, some survey and data, and then I think there’s a percentage that membership schools have to have– like “this” school offer it. So first, I think it’s communicating it and getting it out there for school to start and then making that process move forward.”

And for the athletes, playing soccer with their friends is as fun as ever.

“I’ve been playing it since this year,” Kalin Micoley, a Hortonville sophomore on the adaptive team said.

Anderley: “What part do you like the most?”

Kalin: “Seeing my peers!”

Kleinhans wants to make adaptive sports a WIAA Varsity sanctioned event, with a state championship.

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