James “Jim” Christy is one of the 2009 Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame inductees. Ten current and former athletes, coaches, athletic officials, athletic directors and fine arts educators were honored. This is the 18th year for the awards ceremony held in Minneapolis. The Hall of Fame is sponsored by Wells Fargo and has 173 members.

Minnesota’s adapted sports athletes owe many thanks to Christy, who was instrumental in the initial development of the prep adapted athletics program. His involvement in adapted sports in Minnesota predates the involvement of the Minnesota State High School League. He has done everything from writing the first set of competition rules to inventing
equipment for athletes.

Christy also has coached many successful teams. Christy has coached adapted floor hockey for 22 years, adapted softball for 13 years and adapted soccer for state tournaments 31 times, including 15 appearances for his floor hockey teams. His teams have earned four second place finishes at state. Floor hockey was runners-up in 1986 and 1995. Softball finished second in 1993 and 2003.

Christy’s contributions reach well beyond the walls of South High School, where he continues to coach and teach. He has served on the board of directors for the Metro Association for Adapted Athletics (MAAA) since 1982. He has served as president, vice president and treasurer for that organization. He has served on the MAAA rules committees for floor hockey, soccer and softball for 10 years each and eight years at Minneapolis South High School. During that time he has led teams to the helped formalize the first set of adapted floor hockey rules.

Christy is a member of the Minnesota Adapted Coaches Association, the Council for Exceptional Children and the Special Education Advisory Council to the State Board of Education. He is also active in Special Olympics.

His previous awards include the Virginia McKnight Binger Award for Human Services and an MAAA Appreciation Award.

Christy attended the old Marshall High School in Minneapolis, later Marshall-University High, and holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and Utah State University.