VA Awards $16 Million to Help Disabled Veterans Get Back in the Game

Chris Griffin deployed to Iraq with the Army in 2009 and came home after four years of service missing something he could not quite name. He found it on a sheet of ice in Central Florida, of all places, with a stick in his hand and a locker room full of people who understood him without needing an explanation.

“It gives them a chance to have camaraderie, friendship, things of that nature,” Griffin, vice president of business operations for Central Florida Warriors Hockey, told Spectrum News 13 last year.

This month, his team got a vote of confidence from Washington. Central Florida Warriors Hockey is one of 91 organizations nationwide that will share $16 million in new grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs to run adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans.

What VA Announced

In an Oct. 6 news release, VA said the $16 million will go to community-based groups that offer archery, hunting, fishing, skiing, cycling, wheelchair sports and other competitive and recreational activities. The goal, in VA’s words, is to help veterans rehabilitate through recreation and lead more active, healthy lives.

“Adaptive sports provide Veterans important opportunities,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in the announcement, adding that the grants “will help thousands of Veterans across the country create meaningful connections.”

VA said it has now awarded more than $150 million through the Adaptive Sports Grant Program since it was established. The grants reach active-duty service members with disabilities as well as veterans.

This year’s round started in April, when VA opened applications and Collins said, “Adaptive sports can be life-changing for disabled Veterans.” Organizations had until May 13 to apply.

How the Grant Program Works

Congress created the program in law at 38 U.S.C. 521A, and VA runs it under regulations in 38 C.F.R. Part 77. The official funding notice for this year’s round spells out the rules, and they are tighter than many people assume.

• Who can apply: Non-federal organizations with real experience running a large adaptive sports program. Qualifying groups include a National Paralympic Committee or a sport’s national governing body, or programs that serve at least 50 participants or draw participants from at least five congressional districts.
• How much: No organization can receive more than $750,000 for the 12-month award. Groups renewing a grant can ask for no more than a 3 percent increase over last year.
• Where the money goes: Administrative costs are capped at 5 percent, so the bulk of the dollars has to reach programs and participants. No local match is required.
• How long: The grant period runs one year, starting on or around Sept. 30, 2026.

VA also set three funding priorities: sports veterans with disabilities actually want to play, with cycling, fishing and pickleball named as examples; services in parts of the country where adaptive sports options are thin; and training for adaptive sports providers that keeps travel to a minimum.

Where the Money Is Going

VA published the full list of 2026 grant recipients on its website. Local VA medical centers have followed up with state-by-state totals:

• Pennsylvania: $849,309 to four organizations.
• Texas: $615,000 in grants for adaptive sports programs.
• New York: $494,000 to six organizations.
• Virginia: $114,455 to two programs, including one in Roanoke.

“We’re strengthening access to adaptive sports programs that make a meaningful difference,” said Michael DelDuca, executive director of the Syracuse VA, announcing the New York awards. In Virginia, Salem VA Health Care System Director Tammy Snyder said the support helps veterans with disabilities “stay active, build confidence, and connect with others through recreation and competition.”

Florida’s Six Grant Winners

Florida, home to one of the largest veteran populations in the country, landed six organizations on the list:

• Aquanauts Adaptive Aquatics, Oakland Park
• Central Florida Warriors Hockey, Satellite Beach
• Miami-Dade County, Miami
• USMMA Sailing Foundation, Treasure Island
• Warriors 4 Life, St. Augustine
• Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation, Apollo Beach

The list covers the water, the ice and the outdoors, which fits a state where a veteran can go deep-sea fishing in the morning and hit a hockey practice by evening. Two of the winners sit right on Tampa Bay, in Treasure Island and Apollo Beach, a short drive for veterans in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

A Second Home on the Ice

Central Florida Warriors Hockey is a good example of what these dollars actually buy. The nonprofit holds monthly practices where veterans, with a focus on disabled veterans, play hockey together. When Spectrum News 13 visited a practice last November, about 30 players had shown up, some driving in from Clermont, Melbourne and the St. Augustine area.

Co-founder Austin Holthaus put the mission simply. “That’s the whole point, that’s why we do this,” he told the station. Player Eric Passi, who has played hockey since he was a kid, said there is “nothing better than a hockey family.”

That is the part a press release cannot capture. For a veteran who lost a limb, or is fighting through post-traumatic stress, or just misses the feeling of being part of a unit, a team schedule is a reason to get in the truck. A grant check pays for ice time, equipment, travel and coaching. What happens on the ice pays off in ways no spreadsheet tracks.

Why Adaptive Sports Work

Military life is built around physical readiness and the people next to you. Injury can take away both at once. Adaptive sports give back a version of each: a body that is training for something again, and a group of people who share the same language.

That is why the activities VA funds look the way they do. Wheelchair basketball and sled hockey bring the competition. Archery, hunting and fishing bring focus and time outdoors. Cycling, often on hand cycles for veterans with lower-body injuries, brings endurance and the simple joy of moving fast under your own power. We have seen it up close in stories like Orlando Perez’s road through the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, and in the way survivors like Marc Fucarile have turned recovery into a mission.

Inside This Year’s Competition

These grants are not handed out on a first-come basis. When VA opened the 2026 round, its funding notice said the department expected to fund about 100 applications, with the full $16 million “subject to the availability of Federal funds.” In the end, 91 organizations were selected.

That means applicants were judged against each other. Groups had to show experience running a large program, key staff with at least two continuous years of relevant experience, and a plan that fit VA’s priorities. Renewing grantees faced a cap on growth, which keeps a handful of big players from swallowing the pot and leaves room for newer, smaller programs.

The list itself shows that spread. It includes county governments, a sailing foundation tied to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy community, aquatics programs and grassroots hockey clubs. Each had to clear the same experience and size thresholds to qualify.

One detail is easy to miss: the money depends on Congress. The program’s authority sits in permanent law, but each year’s dollars come through annual appropriations. That means the size of each year’s grant round rides on the annual budget process. For veterans who rely on these programs, that is worth watching when the next budget fight comes around.

What Comes Next for Grantees

The new grant year began on or around Sept. 30. Recipients will spend the coming months putting the money to work, scheduling seasons, buying or repairing adaptive equipment, training coaches and recruiting new participants. Grantees report to VA on how the money is used, and the funding notice ties the grant period to grantee performance.

For a veteran sitting at home wondering whether a sport is still possible after an injury, the timing is good. With hockey and ski seasons getting underway, this is a natural moment to reach out.

Why It Matters

For veterans and military families, this is not a story about a federal budget line. It is about access.

Adaptive equipment is expensive. A competition sled, a hand cycle or a sport wheelchair can cost thousands of dollars, and many of the best programs are run by small nonprofits on volunteer energy and donated gear. A grant of even $50,000 can be the difference between a program that meets once a month and one that meets every week, or between a waiting list and an open door.

The priority on underserved regions matters too. A veteran in a big metro area may have several options. A veteran in a rural county may have none within a two-hour drive. VA’s decision to reward programs that fill those gaps is a practical one.

And for the broader public, it is a reminder that some of the most effective veteran support in America happens at the local level, at the rink, the range and the boat ramp, run by people who often served themselves. It is the same spirit we saw in Miami, where a 95-year-old Gold Star mother still greets veterans at the VA hospital named for her son. If you are a veteran with a disability looking for a way back into the game, the recipient list is a good place to start, and every one of these organizations welcomes new members.

How Veterans Can Get Involved

Veterans interested in joining a program can start with VA’s grant recipient list, which shows each organization’s city and state. Many local VA medical centers also have recreation therapy staff who can connect veterans with adaptive sports in their area. Groups like Central Florida Warriors Hockey take new members through their own websites.

Organizations that missed out this year can watch Grants.gov for the next funding notice. Based on this year’s schedule, applications opened in April with a May deadline.