TIGARD, Ore. (KOIN) — There are many trampoline places in the Portland area, but for some families of kids with developmental disabilities – young and old – those activities aren’t really an option.
Enter Sky High Sports in Tigard. Every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m., the music is lowered, the rates are discounted and the staff is ready for the special needs of the jumpers.
General Manager Jaime Martinez told KOIN 6 News the previous owner of Sky High came up with the idea to make their place easy to use because he has a son with special needs.
Sky High Sports is located near Washington Square on the other side of Highway 217
Discount rate: $5, caregivers free
“They feel comfortable enough to go out and jump, exercise something they wouldn’t do on a regular basis,” Martinez said. “They come, they say hi, we just get the rewarding feeling of seeing them have fun, smiling. going crazy because they don’t get to do this all the time.”
When it began, the program was once a month. Now it’s every Tuesday.
Rachel Lavine is a skills trainer who now takes her clients to Sky High on Tuesdays.
“Everyone has a different comfort zone with being around a lot of people. And some of the individuals I work with are a little more sensitive,” Lavine said.
It provides an opportunity to socialize, which improves emotional health. The discount makes the exercise affordable for many who struggle to provide for themselves.
“A sense of inclusion in the community is really important. I think all of us should have that,” she said. “For a lot of people I work with they might not get that unless there are places like this that facilitate that meaningful experience.”
