Krystal Butgereit, executive director at Prairie Grit and occupational therapist at Prairie Grit Therapy, said sports participation in itself can be therapy.

“Even if kids don’t realize that,” she said. “They’re working on their strength and endurance and coordination and social skills in a fun and motivating environment. So we knew if we got some more clinicians behind those things and were able to really work on those things, that they could go to activities and generalize the skills that they were learning.”

Butgereit, who helped launch Prairie Grit Therapy, since has been joined by Kaari Pieper, a physical therapist, and Paige Melby, an occupational therapist. Prairie Grit Therapy is looking to add a speech therapist and, over time, has plans for mental health services and therapies for adults.

“Specifically, we are working with the pediatric population. We just knew through the adaptive sports that we can help and we can do more if we’re able to provide some of those therapy services,” Butgereit said.

Youth gather for instruction at a wheelchair basketball camp through Prairie Grit Adaptive Sports.

“We really play with kids, but it is play with a purpose,” she added. “They come, have fun, exercise, play, do all of these things, but there’s reasons behind the way that we do things or the order that we do things.”

Prairie Grit Therapy’s location at the Minot Family YMCA offers a therapy room with equipment provided through a grant from Hess Corp. The YMCA also provides access to its equipment, including a rock-climbing wall for balance, coordination and motor skills; adaptive exercise equipment for strength; pool for aquatic therapy; and gymnasium for warm-ups, cool-down, and other activities.

“It’s so fun because it’s motivating,” Butgereit said of the benefit of the Y’s facilities to youth in therapy. “It’s exciting. It’s encouraging, and it’s also just very functional in that now they can learn different exercises, different activities and come on their own time and participate.”

The skills youth learn through therapy are ones that can help them be successful in everything they do in life, whether in school or the community, Butgereit said. Children want to be active, though, and therapy can help them be active and successful in that area of their lives as well, she said.

For instance, one youngster who wants to be a better wheelchair basketball player is in a therapy program that focuses on arm strength, endurance and coordination to improve the foundational skills necessary for the sport, she said.

Research on adaptive sports shows the benefits go behind physical development, Butgereit said. Children are learning time management, social skills, and independence with their everyday tasks. They learn skills that can help them in the workforce, such as assertiveness, teamwork, getting along with people, and information gathering.

Some youth who participate in regular rather than adaptive sports also sometimes qualify for therapy. Because Prairie Grit Therapy’s offerings are medically based, a referral from a physician or medical diagnosis is required.

“It’s great that we can work with kids of all abilities, making them as successful as they could be in any kind of sport that they want to participate in, but also, just being successful with whatever they want to do — just being able to navigate their environment,” Pieper said.

Butgereit said Prairie Grit Therapy aims to be self-supporting as an entity. It also hopes to be able to support some of Prairie Grit’s adaptive sports endeavors, she said.

Prairie Grit, started by Chad and Angie Thompson, launched with a sled hockey program. Prairie Grit today offers more than 35 sports and recreational opportunities, including hunting and fishing, yoga, and cheerleading, to more than 250 participants.

“Really thanks to the support in the community,” Butgereit said of the growth. “People are willing to volunteer time to donate and sponsor.”