4 minute read
Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse Unites Veterans and Adaptive Athletes Under One Roof
PHOTO COURTESY OF IDAHO OUTDOOR FIELDHOUSE
BY JULIANA RENNO BOUNDS
It’s Monday at noon, which is wheelchair basketball time at Boise’s Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse. The game is fast-paced, competitive, and exhilarating to watch.
Strapped on their sports wheelchairs, the athletes gather on the shiny court overlooking the Boise Greenbelt, moving around with agility and mastery, bouncing, passing, and shooting.
Yes, they’re competing, but more than playing, they are building community, supporting one another, learning, and getting involved—all in a place designed to serve two local communities.
The Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse is a facility created by an initiative of the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family (JKAF) Foundation with a vision to give veterans and Idahoans with disabilities a place to engage in community and life through sports and other personal growth opportunities.
The fieldhouse is also home to two organizations supported by the JKAF Foundation: Mission43 and the Idaho office of the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Although housed in the same facility, the organizations function separately, with different eligibility requirements to qualify for the services and programs provided at the fieldhouse.
John Moyle, a member of Mission 43, the organization serving veterans and their spouses in Idaho, said that the fieldhouse enhances Mission43’s programs and services.
“This facility goes above and beyond,” he said.
Stacia Albiston, communications officer for the JKAF Foundation, said the foundation was determined to create a space for both organizations to thrive. “We found there was a lot of synergy between the two organizations, and they needed their own headquarters, ” she said.
The foundation partnered with a few architects to design the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse to be a fully accessible facility with universal design features and integration of the great Idaho outdoors.
“We asked the athletes: how can we get you here in the best way possible? What would make this place a place you would want to be at?” said Albiston.
From ideation to completion, the building was “a labor of love” for four years, officially opening its doors on Veteran’s Day in 2023.
Built on seven acres in Southeast Boise, the fieldhouse features not only a full-size basketball court, but an adaptive swimming pool, cold plunge and hot tub areas, a fully-equipped weightlifting gym catering to all ability levels, a climbing wall, conference rooms, and maintenance rooms for a variety of adaptive sports equipment.
At the fieldhouse, eligible members can participate in fitness classes based on their goals and abilities. If their focus is an adaptive sport, the Challenged Athletes Foundation provides equipment along with programming.
Those who are members of Mission43 can also take part in educational and professional growth programs, while also finding employment resources and other engagement opportunities.
Mission43
The JKAF Foundation created Mission43 in 2016, with a goal to make Idaho a fulfilling and desirable place for post-9/11 veterans, military members, and their spouses to live after the military. The mission was to highlight the best Idaho has to offer including accessible recreational options, community engagement, and personal and professional growth opportunities.
“We found there were not a ton of services for folks needing help transitioning back to civilian life,” said Albiston. “They are talented leaders and community members.”
Moyle, who was a combat controller in the Air Force, said that transitioning to civilian life can be a challenge for veterans and their families, affecting their physical and mental health. Together, Mission43 and the fieldhouse give veterans the tools that they need to succeed.
“These are people who strive for a purpose and this organization and this facility help—we are all here to grow and help each other,” he said.
Moyle joined Mission43 after leaving the military in 2020 and moving to Idaho with his family from North Carolina. He has been part of many programs with Mission43, including entrepreneurship classes, learning about running a business and putting some of his ideas into practice.
All services provided by Mission43 are free to members, and according to the website, the organization has helped more than 3,000 veterans and their spouses, with close to 10,000 members currently around the state.
He believes that having Mission43 operating out of the fieldhouse has strengthened the initiative. “This facility allowed us to build a massive community with the people who want to be involved,” Moyle said.
To learn more about the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse and Mission43, visit www.idahofieldhouse.org.
This is a two-part story on the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse and the two organizations operating at the facility: Mission43 and the Challenged Athlete Foundation-Idaho. Our next article will share a little more about the CAF-Idaho and its programs.
