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BW pre-physical therapy and exercise science majors helped run more than 60 matches over two days.
Baldwin Wallace University and Youth Challenge hosted 36 disabled athletes from all over the country this past weekend, along with coaches and support staff, for the USA Boccia "Rock and Roll" Cleveland Regional Tournament. Boccia is a target throwing game of strategy and accuracy.
Two dozen BW pre-physical therapy and exercise science students enrolled in an "Adapted Physical Activity" class got hands-on experience as they worked to support more than 60 matches over two days of competition.
The students helped to set up boccia courts inside BW's Lou Higgins Recreation Center for the event, which featured an eight-member team from Youth Challenge (YC), the Narwhals, taking on competitors from Chicago, St. Louis, New York City, Columbus and beyond.
Stephen Faltay '26, an exercise science major who trained to help officiate the competition, appreciated the opportunity to apply classroom learning.
"I had a great staff to teach me all the important parts of setting up an adaptive sports event and knowledgeable national referees who prepared me to referee at these tournaments," he said. "As a referee watching the athletes compete, I learned just how much skill boccia ball takes. Many close matches came down to a measurement of only a few inches to determine who scored the final points during an end (one round of a match)."
Boccia is a highly competitive Paralympic sport that's fun for able-bodied as well as disabled athletes. The aim of the game is to throw red or blue leather balls as close to a white target ball, or jack. Each side has six balls per 'end,' and each end is timed. Boccia balls can be thrown or put in play with a ramp.
Chris Garr, a BW adjunct faculty member and the CEO of Youth Challenge, which specializes in adaptive sports for people with physical disabilities, coordinated the event and the opportunities for students to learn by doing.
In addition to setup, one student trained to be a referee, while others served as timekeepers and runners for the two-day event.
Garr says, "We had some solid competition, welcomed a number of new players who were attending their first regional, trained a host of new officials, introduced our beautiful game to those who had never seen boccia in action before, and started what I hope will be an annual event on the USA Boccia competition calendar."
