Wheelchair Sports Program

Programs

header-title-decorationWheelchair Sports Program

Developed in 1987, the Rancho Wheelchair Sports Program provides Rancho patients with the opportunity to participate in success-oriented, competitive wheelchair sports activities. With sports and activities geared to patients of all degrees of physical disabilities, the program reaches out to athletes with varying levels of disabling illnesses and injuries. The Rancho Wheelchair Sports program provides programs for pediatrics and adults and their competitive team name is the Rancho Halos. The pediatric wheelchair sports program is sponsored by Las Floristas and the adult wheelchair sports program is sponsored by the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation.  

The Rancho Wheelchair Sports Program aspires to assist each participant in the development of lifetime physical fitness behaviors, which can improve the overall quality of life and increase longevity. Not only does each section emphasize physical and skill development, but social and cognitive development are also emphasized. Each participant maintains responsibilities which may include positive attendance and grades in school academics.  

Children from 3 to 12 years of age participate in the Youth Sport and Fun Section, where the focus is on fun and learning the basics rather than competition. Another important aspect of development for the children in this section is the evolution of teamwork, which they learn from watching and emulating the behavior of older athletes. The “Juniors” program, is a highly competitive wheelchair basketball team that serves young athletes from 12 to 18 years of age or until they graduate from High School. The Juniors program has done extremely well over the years, where setting and reaching goals, competition, independence, education, and teamwork are the key aspects of the program. The Juniors program travels around the United States to compete in tournaments from October to April and is one of the top 10 teams in the Nation.  

Many of Rancho’s athletes choose to remain in the program after they graduated high school and continue to compete on the highly successful Adult Wheelchair Sports teams while serving as role models for the younger athletes. The Adult program currently has two teams that compete, one team competes at a highly competitive level in Division I and is one of the top 15 teams in the nation. The other adult team competes at a more recreational level in Division III and competes in local tournaments. All teams compete in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association as well as compete in tournaments all around the United States. The teams hold weekly practices throughout the year to prepare for the tournaments.  

Many of Rancho’s wheelchair sports teams and athletes are among the best in the nation. More importantly, our athletes are becoming educated, goal-oriented, independent in their daily life skills, and productive members of society. 

 Wheelchair Sports Flyer

Please contact us for more information: Tiffany Yonemoto, Lead Coordinator for the Rancho Los Amigos Recreation Therapy Wheelchair Sports Program:  

Telephone: (562) 385-6322
Email: tyonemoto@dhs.lacounty.gov 

 Rancho’s Wheelchair Sports program is sponsored in part by Las Floristas and the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation