MOVE U!
Adaptive Sports and Activities for the Community
A Service of Shenandoah University Division of Physical Therapy
Join us for MOVE TO MUSIC every Friday from 2-3:15 until Dec 12, 2025
The mission of MOVE U! is to empower individuals with chronic movement limitations to participate in adaptive sports and recreation activities. By providing accessible, community-focused programs, we champion inclusion, foster physical and mental well-being, and build a supportive network where every person can thrive.
MOVE U! Soccer
This program is for children ages 5-17 who have limitations in physical ability due to muscular or neurologic conditions. Practices are primarily outside on grass fields.
Practices will include:
skills & ball techniques
footwork exercises
soccer related games
scrimmages
teamwork
Participants must be able to:
follow simple directions
interact in large and small group activities
Five to six one hour sessions each Spring and Fall.
Cost: FREE
Registration required. Space is limited.
MOVE U! Move to Music
This program is for people of all ages with movement disorders and physical mobility limitations. Examples include:
Parkinson's Disease
Brain Injury
Spinal Cord Injury
CVA/Stroke
Cerebral Palsy
Limb amputation
Arthritis
Move to a variety of music and enjoy the camaraderie of others in a supportive and fun environment. NO experience necessary. Each week is a unique session.
Come on your own or with a friend or caregiver.
Weekly session, 75 minutes.
Cost: FREE
Every Friday from 2-3:15 until Dec 12.
Registration required.
MOVE U! Golf Clinic
This program is for people of all ages with movement and mobility limitations who would like to learn or resume golfing.
Examples include:
Parkinson's Disease
Brain Injury
Spinal Cord Injury
CVA/Stroke
Cerebral Palsy
Limb amputation
No Experience is necessary!
This half day of instruction is presented by the National Amputee Golf Association.
Come on your own or with a friend or caregiver.
Spring 2026 Date TBA
Cost: FREE
Registration required.
MOVE U! Wheelchair Roll
In conjunction with
Buzzy's Race for Research
5K & Kids Mile
Join others who use wheelchairs for mobility for a 1/4 mile roll around the paved, mostly flat, area at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. This is a great activity:
to meet new members of the community and wheelchair community
to raise awareness for the importance of exercise and activity for persons of all abilities
for family and friends to participate in the race events as able
Helpers will be available to assist in the wheelchair race if needed.
April 19, 2026 at The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
Cost: FREE
Registration required.
MOVE U! Interest Form
MOVE U! Interest Form
Are you new to MOVE U! and interested in participating, volunteering, or donating? Complete the form below.
Participant Forms
Participant Forms
Links to these forms will be active in January.
Pre-registration and Waiver are required for participation in all activities.
MOVE U! Soccer Registration
MOVE U! Move to Music Registration
MOVE U! Golf Clinic Registration
MOVE U! Wheelchair Roll Registration
Coming Events
Coming Events
To be announced...
In the News
In the News
Adaptive Sports Program Gains Momentum
Grants and support are helping “MoveU!” at SU to grow
AUGUST 29, 2025
The MoveU! Community Adaptive Sports and Dance program at Shenandoah University has received a $7,600 boost through a Newton B. Shingleton Trust grant.
Activities offered through MoveU! accommodate the unique needs of individuals with chronic physical disabilities resulting from neuromuscular or musculoskeletal conditions that impair movement.
With Shingleton grant funds, MoveU! (led by Melissa Wolff-Burke, PT, Ed.D., a Shenandoah professor emeritus and physical therapist and Lisa Startsman, a dance instructor) will expand its current programming and create future programs, including one in adaptive pickleball, as well as a half-mile wheelchair road race for people of all ages. “Also, by purchasing and providing specialized equipment, we will reach those who may face socioeconomic barriers to accessing these activities which are very limited in Winchester, Virginia,” the grant application states.
“Additionally, undergraduate and graduate students in dance and health sciences at SU will benefit from volunteering as support personnel for these adaptive activities,” according to the grant application. “Students will gain valuable hands-on experience while working with individuals with disabilities, by applying their academic knowledge in a real-world setting. Faculty and health care providers in the Winchester region will also be invited to participate, ensuring they are aware of these opportunities to share with their students and patients. The program will serve people of all ages and diverse backgrounds in the region.”
MoveU! has already offered classes through its “Adaptive Dance for All” program, which has received grant support from the Virginia chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association and aims to provide the benefits of dance, social connection, and support to individuals in the community with Parkinson’s Disease or other mobility challenges. The adaptive dance program was featured in The Winchester Star in October 2024. Move U! has also hosted adaptive soccer for the past 3 years, which helps young players improve muscle strength, motor skills, and overall endurance, promoting teamwork, discipline, strategic thinking, and mental well-being, as well as adaptive golf.
A future pickleball program and the proposed the wheelchair road race offer similar benefits, ultimately enhancing physical health and mental well-being, providing social inclusion and improving participants’ quality of life.
Categories: Dance Spotlight, Health Professions, Magazine News, Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy Spotlight
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
Adaptive Sports and Support Guide-a list of Northern Virginia and National resources
Contact Move U!
Contact Move U!
Email Missy Wolff-Burke: mwolff@su.edu
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