Participating in Sports Teams After Injury
Shepherd Center sports team coordinator Matt Edens discusses adapted sports in new podcast
Shepherd Center sponsors 11 sports teams that enable individuals with physical disabilities to participate in sports on a recreational or competitive level. Athletes compete in local and regional competitions, as well as at the national and international levels. Regular practice sessions offer expert instruction, as well as camaraderie and peer support.
In an new podcast with Shepherd Center Radio, sport teams coordinator Matt Edens discusses the program and how it raises awareness about disabilities and increases participation in adapted sports. The sports programs also encourage leading an active lifestyle after injury and community involvement.
Matt Edens has worked at Shepherd Center for 15 years – five years as an inpatient/day program recreation therapist and 10 years as the sports teams coordinator. Edens coordinates Shepherd Center's 11 sports teams with more than 100 athletes participating in Shepherd’s team practices. In 2016, he was inducted into the Dixie Wheelchair Hall of Fame for his contributions to organizing wheelchair sports.
Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.