Proposed Adaptive Classes

Broken Caber Adaptive Athletics Mission Statement:

Broken Caber’s purpose is to advise on adaptive highland games classifications so that adaptive classifications are represented in a fair, safe, and equitable manner and to promote the integration of adaptive classifications into highland games around the world.

With the increasing numbers of adaptive athletes competing in highland games across the world, a need has arisen for clear competitive classifications for adaptive athletes. These classifications will serve to create a level playing field within the large number of adaptive situations/needs presented by athletes. This will give highland games adaptive athletes the same representation as other highland games classes for record keeping, qualifying for championship events, and clear rules and regulations.

Broken Caber Adaptive Athletics (BCAA) is not a governing authority. BCAA is an advisory organization that aims to help the adaptive community find a level playing field in adaptive highland games by advising federations/associations and athletics directors how to safely and fairly include adaptive classes regularly and competitively.

The Paralympic model was used as a reference and guide to develop the classifications and determine eligibility as an Adaptive Athlete vs acute conditions. For example, from the Explanatory Guide to Paralympic Classification (2015) “Joints that can move beyond the average range of motion, joint instability, and acute conditions, such as arthritis, are not considered eligible impairments.”

Guidance for Combining Adaptive Classifications

These broadly defined classes are designed to give Athletic Directors the ability to hold an adaptive class and award prizes alongside of the other classes on the field. In order to give Athletic Directors the ability to hold, promote, obtain sponsorship, etc. for one or more adaptive classes, the classifications can be combined as:

• “Adaptive Class” with scoring separated into Para Standing Adaptive Class (combining Upper, Lower and Neuro/Muscular) and Para Seated Adaptive Class if less than 3 are competing in a specific class (Standing Upper, Standing Lower, Standing Neuro/Muscular.)

Athletes will compete against each other using the specifications (weights, etc.) of their adaptive class.

As numbers grow, if a specific standing class has three or more competitors, the athletes in that class will be judged against each other in order to crown a winner in a specific class. Their scores can also be judged against all other standing adaptive athletes in order to crown an “Overall Para Standing Class” and an “Overall Para Seated Class” champions at the Athletic Director’s discretion. Throws in the “Overall Para Standing Adaptive Class” or “Para Standing” will be at the weights for each athlete’s respective adaptive category. If no class has three or more finish the competition then Places and Prizes should be distributed in the “Para Standing Class”. Records for each specific class can be set and broken within an Overall Class if all specifications for the individual class has met Broken Caber Adaptive Athletics guidelines.

BCAA will maintain a website with information about the organization, adaptive athletics, and record keeping. Until the majority of the world is utilizing consistent adaptive classes, BCAA will maintain a database of adaptive records set at National, Continental, and World events across the independent highland games federations around the world.

Records must be set according to all existing highland games rules with the allowable adaptations cited in each classification and the weights cited in each specific classification. (i.e. steel tape, weight verified, etc.) All throws must be deemed legal by the governing body of the competition in order to be valid for submission and follow all regulations for confirming a record for any other classification. Please submit records to brokencaberaa@gmail.com with:

• Picture of official scoresheet or link to official posting online.

Once the majority of the world is utilizing consistent adaptive classification, BCAA will no longer need to maintain records as they will be as comparable across federations and associations with current men’s, women’s, pro, amateur, etc. classes.

Currently there are no Lightweight (LW) Adaptive classes proposed. Records will be tracked as we do hope for a need/numbers to justify splitting the classes in the future. LW Adaptive Athletes need to weigh in with the LW's or AD at each event for #'s to be considered valid.

Identified potential needs in the future

As the pool of adaptive athletes grows, there may be a need to split these broad divisions. The objective will be to create a more level playing field while not diluting the athlete pool in other divisions.