Lake Agassiz Elementary Inclusive Pickleball Camp: At Lake Agassiz Elementary in Grand Forks, North Dakota, children laugh, run, and play pickleball on summer afternoons, thanks to Inclusive Moves — an eight-week summer camp created by the University of North Dakota’s College of Education & Human Development. The camp gives kids of all abilities, especially those with disabilities, a safe place to grow through physical play. Supported by UND students and faculty, the program is part of the University’s UND LEADS Strategic Plan, which encourages service to the community.
Building an Inclusive Space for All
Inclusive Moves began last year as a two-day trial. Because of strong support from families, it became a full summer program held twice a week.
“After our pilot program last year, a lot of families wanted to continue their kids in the program,” said Harry Liu, assistant professor of Education, Health & Behavior Studies. “There aren’t many camps for children with disabilities in Grand Forks. There are some, but they might not be accessible to children with disabilities or might only be open to kids from that population.”
Harry Liu, Jessica Zorn from the Physical Therapy program, and Tanis Walch, professor of Education, Health & Behavior Studies, worked together to make sure the camp could welcome all children.
“We were thinking, OK, let’s try to create an inclusive program everyone can be involved in, whether they have a disability or not,” said Harry Liu.
Making campers feel safe was a key goal. Some children are more comfortable when someone they know is nearby. “Some children with disabilities may have trouble learning from a coach they don’t know, but if they have a sibling or friend who’s familiar to them and can play with them, we start to see much better results,” said Harry Liu.
Why Pickleball Works
Pickleball was chosen as the main activity because it’s fun, simple, and easy to play.
“We considered a lot of options like badminton and tennis. I used to play a lot of badminton, but it’s not very popular here, and tennis is pretty heavy,” said Harry Liu. “Pickleball lands somewhere in the middle, and it includes a lot of the fundamental locomotor movements to help with motor development. It takes some work, but it’s not as difficult to get into.”
Jessica Zorn added, “Pickleball was designed to be an accessible sport; it’s made so that all kids can play it. A lot of it is the way that rules are designed. You try to keep the ball low, the ball is very soft, and the paddle is very light, so it makes it a lot easier to grip and hold.”
Jessica Zorn has personal experience helping children with disabilities find fun activities. “Even wheelchair users are able to play pickleball,” she said. “The fact that the court is much smaller and there’s less traveling to reach the ball makes it accessible for kids of all abilities.”
Teaching Through Movement
Houdaifa Khalifa, a petroleum engineering Ph.D. student and former boxer, is one of the coaches. He also worked on the UND Connect dance program Dance Like No One’s Watching. His love for sports inspired him to help.
“I’m a boxer. I love sport. I’m an athletic person, so teaching these kids is something I really love and enjoy doing,” he said. “I’m learning a lot.”
He explained that every child learns differently. “I’m learning how to best help the kids. Each kid has their own special way of learning, and learning how to be patient and always keep a smile and teach them how to play while letting them have fun has been really rewarding.”
Each session starts with simple drills. “We did the agility, where it included running, jumping. It’s like skipping and shuffling and galloping,” said Houdaifa Khalifa. “And then we did shooting, so it included basketball, tennis balls into small baskets. That helps them learn about control and coordination.”
These exercises help kids grow stronger and move better. “We want to include incorporating as many fundamental locomotor movements as possible,” said Harry Liu. “Populations for disabilities sometimes have a significant motor development delay. Getting them out there and running through these exercises can help them learn about their bodies while they’re having fun.”
Pickleball is added slowly, starting with light balloon games. “We also did, like, kind of a pickleball, but with balloons,” said Houdaifa Khalifa. “So that’s like a nice, light warmup. And then we went to the pickleball with actual balls that are more hard.”
“It’s getting more fun, and the kids have been really receptive as time goes on,” he said. “Each session feels like it’s been better than the last one.”
Jessica Zorn explained that kids do better when they play with someone they know. “If we have a couple of campers who are friends or siblings, we try to pair them up,” she said. “We’ve found that when children with disabilities get assistance from their sibling or from their friends they are familiar with, rather than just the coaches, it provides a better experience for those kids.”
One child showed major improvement. “When he first tried the paddles, he would throw it down every time,”. “And today, he held the paddle, and he volleyed with his coach for the first time. His mother trusted us and believed like this is a safe place. When we announced that our program was ready, she signed him up immediately. It’s just been so amazing to see the progress he’s making.”(Jessica Zorn)
Supported by the Community
Inclusive Moves was funded by many local groups, including the North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Grand Forks Community Foundation, and Grand Forks Public Schools, which provided gym space. Additional help came from the North Dakota Association for the Disabled’s Gibbens Memorial Grant, a College of Education and Human Development Mini Grant, and UND CONNECT.
Harry Liu and Jessica Zorn said the support has made a huge difference.
“I think the most striking statement from them is we’re in the same boat. We need to help each other and support these kids. I think we’re all just happy to provide a space for these kids to grow and have fun,”(Harry Liu).
With renovations done, the camp will soon move to a permanent space in UND’s Education Northwest Building. While future growth will depend on space and staff, the program’s goal will stay the same.
“Summer can be a difficult time for parents and, with limited options for children with disabilities, it’s especially hard,”. “We feel like this has been a big win for everybody.”(Harry Liu)
And from the joyful sounds in the gym, it’s clear the kids agree.
News in Brief: Lake Agassiz Elementary Inclusive Pickleball Camp
The Inclusive Moves summer camp at UND uses pickleball to help children of all abilities, especially those with disabilities, grow in confidence, movement skills, and friendships. The program, created by UND faculty and students, is backed by local grants and aims to offer a fun and safe place to play and learn.
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