Georgia's Gridiron Game-Changers: A New Era for Adaptive Sports Kicks Off

ATLANTA, GA – July 30, 2026 – Thirty years after the flame was lit for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games, its legacy organization is igniting a new fire in the state’s athletic landscape. BlazeSports America today announced the formation of Georgia’s first-ever wheelchair football team, the BlazeSports Atlanta Falcons. This pioneering move plants a flag for one of the nation’s fastest-growing adaptive sports right here in Georgia, creating a competitive pathway for adult athletes with physical disabilities.

The newly formed team will join the USA Wheelchair Football League (USAWFL), a competitive national league that has seen explosive growth since its inception. The BlazeSports Atlanta Falcons are set to make their official league debut at a tournament in Chicago this August, before bringing the high-impact sport home by hosting Georgia's inaugural wheelchair football tournament in October 2026. The program is open to all athletes aged 18 and older, welcoming a wide range of skill levels and experiences.

A New Frontier for Adaptive Athletics

The introduction of the BlazeSports Atlanta Falcons places Georgia on a select national map, making Atlanta one of only 15 cities to host a team in the USAWFL. The league, launched in 2020 by Move United with foundational support from an NFL-Bob Woodruff Foundation Salute to Service partnership, has rapidly become a major force in adaptive sports, engaging over 1,000 athletes, veterans, coaches, and officials across the country.

The game itself is a thrilling adaptation of traditional American football, designed for speed, strategy, and safety. Played on a 60-yard field, the 7-on-7 format emphasizes passing and teamwork, with a tackle defined as a one-hand touch above the waist. To ensure balanced and fair competition, the league employs a sophisticated classification system. Each athlete is assigned a point value from 1 to 4.5 based on their functional ability, and the total points of all seven players on the field for a team cannot exceed 21. This innovative rule ensures that strategy and skill, not just physical advantage, determine the outcome of the game.

The league's 2026 season includes a four-tournament circuit, with stops in Chicago, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Dallas, providing a national stage for athletes to test their mettle. For Georgia's athletes, this means an unprecedented opportunity to compete at a high level without having to leave the Southeast.

More Than Just a Game: Empowering Athletes and Veterans

While the on-field action is a major draw, the mission of BlazeSports and the USAWFL extends far beyond the end zones. The program is fundamentally about creating community, fostering leadership, and opening doors to new possibilities. Research shows that participation in adaptive sports has a profound, life-altering impact; athletes with disabilities are more than twice as likely to be employed, with each year of participation increasing that likelihood by 4%.

"Wheelchair football represents an exciting opportunity to expand access to adaptive sports and introduce athletes to a fast-paced, competitive team environment," said Dawn Churi, Executive Director of BlazeSports America. "By bringing the first wheelchair football team to Georgia, we are proud to provide a new pathway for athletes and veterans to challenge themselves, build meaningful connections, and compete on a national stage."

This sentiment is echoed in the experiences of athletes in other BlazeSports programs, where participants often speak of finding invaluable friendships and a powerful sense of belonging. The new football program is poised to build on this legacy, with a particular focus on serving military veterans. The league’s partnership with the Bob Woodruff Foundation and its collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs underscore a deep commitment to providing veterans with a supportive and challenging team environment.

Building on a 30-Year Paralympic Legacy

The launch of the wheelchair football team is not an isolated initiative but the latest chapter in a three-decade story of empowerment. BlazeSports America is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, tracing its origins directly back to the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. Founded to serve as the living legacy of those Games, the organization adopted the name of the popular mascot, Blaze, and has since become a cornerstone of the adaptive sports community in the Southeast and beyond.

Over the past 30 years, the nonprofit has served over 10,000 individuals with physical disabilities, including spina bifida, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, and amputation. Its impact has been recognized nationally with three Rings of Gold awards from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. What began with a single wheelchair basketball program has blossomed into a year-round suite of 12 distinct sports, including adaptive track and field, swimming, tennis, and a recently relaunched adaptive soccer program. The addition of wheelchair football is a natural evolution, meeting a growing demand for more diverse and competitive team sports.

The Sustainable Playbook for Community Sport

Creating and sustaining a high-caliber athletic program requires a robust and strategic support system. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, BlazeSports America operates on a diversified funding model that weaves together community support, corporate partnerships, and strategic grants. The organization's long-standing relationship with the Atlanta Hawks, for example, has provided "monumental" support for its Jr. Hawks wheelchair basketball team, covering essential costs like uniforms and travel.

This collaborative approach is mirrored at the league level. The USAWFL’s existence is made possible by the crucial backing of the NFL and the Bob Woodruff Foundation, whose grants support the league's infrastructure and help reduce barriers to entry for new teams and athletes. This financial architecture ensures that the focus can remain on the athletes' experience and the sport's growth. By establishing the BlazeSports Atlanta Falcons, the organization is not just launching a team; it is investing in a durable piece of community infrastructure that promises to serve Georgia's adaptive athletes for years to come.