Lee Regenbogen

A respected educator and humanitarian, Lee Regenbogen has excelled in his role as a special needs teacher at the Richard H. Hungerford School in Staten Island, New York since 2007. As an extension of his work, he is also the co-founder of Next Level Sports, a business partnership he entered in 2021. When he began teaching, Mr. Regenbogen realized a great need for recreational sports for children with special needs and made it his mission to create adaptive sports and equipment that would serve them properly. With the help of his business partners, he partnered with a flag football league, which opened the door for even more sports, including baseball and dodgeball.

Additionally, Special Level Sports is held within Next Level Sports, which is geared toward special needs children 18 years and older. 

Finding great success in his endeavors, Mr. Regenbogen was honored with a Coach of the Year Award in 2017. He attributes his drive for success to the special needs community, along with his nephew, who has autism. Alongside his primary work, he remains involved in additional recreational sports activities, including as a Little League coach, travel baseball organizer, cornhole league co-founder and Tottenville High School youth football league founder. Mr. Regenbogen considers his most notable achievement has been creating a league because it makes him the happiest.

At the beginning of his career journey, Mr. Regenbogen earned a bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University in 2001 and was encouraged to enter the business field. Although he did not pursue a career in business, having that background knowledge aided him in spearheading Next Level Sports. Later in 2012, he achieved a master’s degree from Touro College. Looking ahead, Mr. Regenbogen aims to take his adaptive sports program nationwide and eventually worldwide, hoping to touch the lives of as many special needs children as possible. He is currently in the process of applying for a patent for his equipment.