Did you know? "Persons with physical disabilities are even less likely than their peers without disabilities to engage in regular, moderate physical activity" -Surgeon General, 1999 "People with disabilities participate in daily exercise 20% less than people without disabilities" Children with disabilities have limited opportunities to participate in competitive sports. Dream Makers Youth Foundation's adaptive sports program encourages children with special needs to actively adjust to their conditions by providing them with opportunities to participate in sports and recreational activities.   Risks of Inactivity:   Participating in sports breaks the crippling cycle caused by inactivity. Benefits of Participation: « Improved physical fitness & health « Opportunities for social interactions « Improved self-concept  Our Sponsorship:   DMYF initiated its Adaptive Sports Program in 2004 by sponsoring the Cobb Cougars wheelchair soccer team.    S.T.A.R.S. Basketball: Our S.T.A.R.S. Basketball Program is designed to move elementary through high school-aged children with intellectual delays onto the court (e.g. Down Syndrome, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and high-functioning Autism). Through participation in our program, our children with special needs are provided with opportunities to improve their coordination and social skills, as they learn to play basketball. Thanks to the generous donations from Lenox Financial Mortgage, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, and the Atlanta Hawks Foundation, DMYF was able to initiate our STARS basketball program this year. The season ran from January until March, and included two teams, the Cobb Comets and the Atlanta Galaxy. Thanks to the generous donation from the Yahoo! Employees Foundation, our second season will begin in October. The program will again consist of two teams, which will allow us to provide the individual instruction our enrolled children need to develop and master the skills taught throughout the season. DMYF is currently seeking players, volunteers, coaches and sponsors to make this second season better than the first! Space is limited however, so register your child now to participate! For more information about how to become involved, e-mail us at: dreammakersyf@aol.com S.T.A.R.S. Tennis: The Universal Tennis Academy, under the direction of tennis professionals Tim Noonan and David Stoole, and with the assistance of many other UTA volunteers, offer free tennis lessons, to children with special needs enrolled in our program. We are excited to be able to offer this program, and delighted to see the impact this program has made on the children already involved. Openings are still available for this year-long program. Lessons are held two Saturdays each month from 5 - 6:30 at the Academy, located at 1 Chattahoochee Plantation Drive in Marietta (30067). If you, or someone you know, might be interested in your/their child participating, please feel free to contact us at: 678-398-6693