A 6-year-old boy from Shawano County recently had the opportunity to develop his athletic skills at NubAbility Athletics’ All-Sport Summer Camp in southern Illinois.
Isaiah Lanphear, of Cecil, who had his hand amputated two years ago due to an accident, joined more than 135 other youth athletes from across the country at the camp from July 16-19. It is designed to enable and encourage children with limb-differences to compete.
More than 50 high school, collegiate and professional athletes with limb-differences volunteered to serve and coach the camp participants in more than 10 sports, including football, baseball, basketball, wrestling and fishing.
The first camp in 2012 featured 19 limb-different youth; enrollment in 2014 was 74.
“Having camp nearly double in attendance from last year has been amazing and demonstrates our serious commitment to serving and coaching these young athletes,” said Sam Kuhnert, NubAbility Athletics founder and head coach. “I can’t thank all of the parents enough for bringing their kids to small-town southern Illinois and trusting us to teach and empower them.”
The youngest athletes learn the core skills of their chosen sports in an age-appropriate manner, learning how to adapt with their limb-differences, while older participants complete drills and exercises as they would in a collegiate training camp. In addition to on-field activities, campers also learn about adaptive strength training, conditioning, healthy eating and more.
“We want to provide our athletes a full and well-balanced experience that will help them be the best possible athlete,” Kuhnert said. “Even after they leave camp, they’ll have access to our coaches for continued mentoring and coaching. There’s no greater joy for us than seeing these kids succeed on the court, on the field, on the mat or wherever they compete with the best and win.”
