“If everybody gave a dollar, it would make such a big difference for these individual students with disabilities.” – Dr. Brent Hardin, director of Adapted Athletics
For more than two decades, Drs. Brent Hardin and Margaret Stran have led The University of Alabama Adapted Athletics program. Hardin serves as its director, and Stran as associate director. This year, they are taking on a new role as We Are UA ambassadors.
“The program started in 2003 with, really, just a good idea,” Hardin said. “We didn’t have any money; we didn’t have a place to practice. We only had a few students on campus who wanted to participate, but we had a really good idea.”
Since the program operates separately from UA’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, it’s supported through its own funding structure. Early on, Stran and Hardin solicited a lot of help from administration, faculty and staff. Without a place to practice, the two secured space in Foster Auditorium. They planned a work day to clean up the area and scores of people showed up to help.
“I always felt like we were really blessed to have an administration and a staff, from the top to the bottom, that really saw that what we were doing could be a bright light,” Stran said. “And that happened from the very beginning to people showing up and helping us clean out the old Foster Auditorium.”
It was there that the Alabama Adapted Athletics women’s wheelchair basketball program began in 2003, followed by the men’s wheelchair basketball program two years later. The women’s team achieved significant success quickly, winning national championships in 2009, 2010 and 2011. It was also in 2011 that the wheelchair tennis program began. Building on that success, the men’s basketball program started gaining momentum, securing national titles in 2013 and 2015.
There was a lot of work going on behind the scenes as well. When asked about favorite memories of the time, Stran spoke of a conversation the two had with Dr. Robert Witt, former Chancellor of The University of Alabama System. During their talk, Witt told Stran and Hardin, “If you have long-term goals, they tend to stay long-term; so let’s make them short-term goals.”
Less than a week into former UA President Stuart Bell’s term, Stran and Hardin met with him to discuss their desire to build a facility designed specifically for the wheelchair basketball program. He told the two, “If we’re going to do it, let’s make it the best.”
“I think one of the most enjoyable experiences that we had was when we finally raised enough funding to build the arena for adapted athletics,” Hardin said. “Working with the architects and the construction admin folks on a daily basis and just seeing how much they cared about the campus and the students. It was just awesome to work with a different group of people kind of outside our circle. And we’ve had that opportunity a lot over the years.”
By 2018, the $10 million Stran-Hardin Arena was completed and ready for operation. It is the first collegiate facility specifically designed for student-athletes with disabilities. It houses an NCAA regulation basketball court in an 11,500-square-foot gymnasium, workout spaces, offices and meeting spaces.
“To me, it’s not something that we have done,” Hardin said. “It’s something that’s been a labor of love for our whole program, starting from the very first students who were here, our presidents and administration. It’s great to be a part of an organization that really cares about doing the right thing.”
Success on the court quickly validated their vision. In 2021, the program celebrated another national first, the opening of the Parker-Haun Tennis Facility. It is the only collegiate tennis facility in the U.S. designed and operated specifically for adapted student-athletes.
Most recently, the para track and field program began in 2023, adding more athletic opportunities for students. The UA Adapted Athletics program now serves more than 40 student-athletes and celebrates an impressive 24 national championships.
Asked about the future, Hardin said, “I just see a really exciting time for growth for everybody involved.”
These student-athletes benefit from the Adapted Athletics Excellence Fund. Donations to the fund provide gear, uniforms, transportation to sporting events and facilities maintenance. The fund also supports academic success through scholarships.
“What is your why?” Stran said, continuing, “My why is our program. If you’ve ever been to a game, if you’ve ever been to one of our events, then you see the why, and you know. A little bit of support for that why … it’s gonna make a big difference in the lives of our students.”
Through the We Are UA campaign, supporters can help ensure that the next generation of student-athletes continues to thrive in a program built on vision, persistence and community support.
Support We Are UA
To learn more about the We Are UA giving campaign and to support a unique giving opportunity of your choice, visit weareua.ua.edu.