On September 14, 2025, the gyms at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx were alive with cheers, teamwork, and competition as the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) hosted the Inclusive Sport Day. More than 50 athletes with physical disabilities joined students, coaches, and volunteers for a half-day of sports designed to foster empathy, celebrate inclusion, and inspire the next generation through the power of play.

A Day of Sport and Connection

The event featured a full lineup of inclusive sports:

• Pickleball, supported by coaches from CityPickle
• Sitting volleyball, led by a world-class coaching team: three-time Paralympic gold medalist Nicky Nieves, Lora Webster (Team USA Women’s Sitting Volleyball), and Travis Ricks (Team USA Men’s Sitting Volleyball). Together, they brought elite expertise and personal experience, giving athletes hands-on coaching and encouragement.
• Wheelchair basketball, featuring athletes from the New York Rolling Fury, the premier NWBA youth team with Bronx and NYC practices.

Athletes rotated through stations, gaining hands-on experience in each sport. The atmosphere was both educational and celebratory, with students discovering that sport is truly a universal language of belonging.

Stories of Empowerment

The day highlighted the journeys of several standout athletes and families including 15 year old MJ Catuncan, a longtime CAF athlete living with achondroplasia, is pursuing track, swimming, and triathlon. Reflecting on his journey, MJ shared, “I feel like sometimes when I compete, I show people what’s possible.” His determination and perspective embody the spirit of the event. These stories gave students powerful, real-life examples of perseverance and inclusion.

Sienna Schorr, a Horace Mann 9th grade student volunteer, emphasized the importance of blending communities: “Just the community being able to mix [athletes with and without physical disabilities], it’s so special to me… It’s so empowering.”

CAF Board Member Scott Stackman also reflected on the day’s impact: “We provide sports adaptive equipment, training, and mentoring for people with any kind of physical disability, whether it’s a birth defect, disease, accident or act of war. These sports adaptive wheelchairs you see here aren’t covered by insurance—they can be anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000. CAF makes opportunities like this possible.”

Community Voices

Pickleball coach Betty Ng reflected on the day in a social post:

“Grateful for the chance to coach with the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) at Riverdale Country School. The energy was incredible and the inspiration real! Special thanks to Kelly Worrell for her stellar coordination and to the Riverdale community for hosting. I was also thrilled that my nonprofit, Positive Communities Inc., could donate paddles to CAF—this is our mission in motion: empowering underserved communities on and off the court.”

Media Spotlight

The Riverdale Inclusive Sport Day received strong media attention, underscoring the importance of adaptive and inclusive programming in schools. Coverage included PIX11 and News 12 Bronx. In total, the event reached an estimated 1.35 million people across media channels, amplifying the message that access to sport belongs to everyone.

Powered by the CAF School Program

This event, hosted at Riverdale, highlights the value of CAF’s School Program, which promotes the importance of sports for every student regardless of ability. Since 1994, CAF has raised over $191 million and provided more than 52,000 grants for adaptive sports equipment, training, and competition. Events like this teach students that we are more alike than different, and that inclusion starts with opportunity.

Get Involved

Riverdale’s Inclusive Sports Day demonstrates the power of bringing students and athletes together through sport to build empathy and connection. You can help keep the momentum going by starting a CAF Club at your school or donating to support future inclusive sports events and programs. Every action helps create more opportunities for athletes to thrive.

Together, we can continue breaking down barriers and inspiring the next generation to lead with empathy, inclusion, and teamwork.