Disability Sports

I have always had a close tie in disability sports due to my childhood and family life. My cousin had an interest in athletics and carried out that interest playing in the Special Olympics. I remember attending softball games and basketball games and cheering the team on as they played their hearts out.

It never really occurred to me that these athletes had to play each sport in a way that was different from athletes that are not disabled. Even as a coach for the Special Olympics basketball team I did not take into consideration the way each player had to play based on their disability. I knew that some athletes that only had one arm could only dribble, pass and shoot the ball with that arm, but I never realized how much it would change the game for them until discussing it in class.

There were many athletes our team played against that were in wheel chairs, some only had one leg, and others could not see as well as the rest. While coaching those athletes I tried my best to accommodate to their misfortunes, but I wish I had thought to actually play the game the same as the athletes I was coaching had to play.

I give theses athletes even more credit than I had before because I can not imagine how difficult it must have been for each one to figure out how to learn the fundamentals I was teaching them. I was teaching them the way I knew how to play, but never adjusted to the ways in which they needed to learn them.

Disabled athletes are some of the most dedicated and hardworking athletes I have met and I would give anything to have the amount of endurance and dedication they have. It is amazing to think of the several different ways these athletes have to adjust to the game.