Over the past week, in class we have discussed sports that
are catered to athletes with disabilities as well as athletes who overcome
their numerous obstacles to still play sports. One of the first things we
talked about was our involvement with sports for those with disabilities,
including watching or keeping track of the sports and athletes. Many, including
myself, admitted to not paying as much attention. Many of us were aware of
athletes who have disabilities, but many of them play sports with those who
aren’t disabled. This attracted much media attention, which catches our eyes
and we become aware. One of the subjects I wanted to look into was the increase
of sports and tournaments that help keep athletes active when they have a
disability. One of the fastest growing sport organizations are those that focus
on keeping our soldiers active after they suffer a disability fighting for our
freedom.
When researching this topic I have found that many of our
military branches have started to create programs for soldiers and veterans to
come together and compete against each other in various sports. One program
created by the United States Marine Corps grabbed my attention; their Warrior
Athlete Reconditioning (WAR) program helps create organized sporting tournaments
with other military branches. The goal of the WAR program is to keep soldiers
active and accomplish physical fitness goals while competing with peers going
through the same situation. Those participating within the program are required
to compete in one sport for a 12-week period, which includes wheelchair
basketball, sitting volleyball, running/track and field and other sports. Once
a soldier has completed their 12-week period and has achieved their goals they
are able choose from a large variety of sports, such as surfing, martial arts,
scuba diving, tennis, skiing and many more.
This past November a wheelchair basketball tournament was
held for wounded warriors in the Marine Corps and Navy. The goal of the
tournament was to remind everyone that a wound or injury doesn’t slow down
anyone who is wounded. The focus of the tournament was for wounded warriors to
show that they wanted to move on with their “new normal” and not dwell on their
past life without a disability.
Reading these articles made me think about how much courage
it takes to face your disability like these servicemen have. If I was faced
with a disability that altered the way I play sports, I think it would be
really difficult to face and I might not even play sports again. It also made
me think about the lack of sports programs we have for those that focus on
athletes with disabilities and how they are not promoted enough. The military
knows that camaraderie is the key for a soldier to adjust to their new life,
and by creating organized sports for those with disabilities the adjustments
are not as scary or challenging. However, how many programs are there for
everyday civilians who are faced with a disability? This is a problem with
society and we only focus on such events every four years because the Paralympics
follow the Olympics. This past weeks class has brought to my attention that we
need to start focusing on all athletes and give them an opportunity to play.
Alli, you make alot of good points in your blog and I enjoyed reading it. I can't imagine the athletes who compete with disabilities. It would be really tough to overcome and to still compete. They have such big hearts to be able to still have the drive to do their best. I agree with your last statement that we need to start focusing on all athletes and give them opportunity to play. I have watched a sled hockey game one youtube and also in real life. Sled hockey is hockey for a person with a disability and they skate on sleds. It was amazing to see how fast and how hard they shot with only one hand. I have also encountered a hockey player that only had one arm. I didn't even notice, someone had to inform me that he was playing with one arm. I think that is it odd that most of our class never even really put much thought about athletes with disabilities. I also thought it was ironic that we were able to name off like 10 or 15 of them when we put our minds to it.
ReplyDeleteThe above comment was made by Mike Harrington
DeleteThe story of these servicemen is awesome to hear about. It must be hard for them to overcome their disabilities and be able to partake in this tournament. I actually competed against two athletes last year who had disabilities. The BGSU Curling Club went to Utica, New York for a collegiate tournament and we got there early and were asked to curl against a team that belonged to the Utica club. When we went out on the ice to meet our opponents, two of them were in wheelchairs due to disabilities. I had never heard of wheelchair curling and never observed it. Watching them was fascinating, they were just as good as everyone else. It turns out Utica is home of wheelchair curling and they send teams to compete nationally every year.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great story about our service men and women competing in sports while they have a disability. It makes you appreciate the military even more. The options for people with disabilities are limited in my eyes and if there is individual's tend to not care about them because of one thing or the other. I wish there was more televised events showcasing sports such as, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair races, and different sports that have athletes with disabilities participating in them. It would allow everyday citizens like ourselves witness the amount of heart and skill it takes for people to perform these sports. I think it would be good for everyone to be spirited about these sports because the true meaning of sports is to have fun and enjoy yourself and that's what athletes with disabilities do.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I like to say that this was a great story. It is inspiring in a way to see those that has served us not letting their disabilities get in the way of doing what they love. You hardly ever hear about the different organizations that provide these athletic opportunities to those with disabilities. I mentioned in class one time that I believe athletics for those with disabilities is something that should be talked about more. I also mentioned in class that when I was in elementary school, the star basketball player for our local high school had one arm. He was also a soccer player, and the kicker for football. But basketball was the one sport where people were amazed at the things he could do with one arm. Athletes like him should be recognized for their abilities instead of being put down for their disabilities.
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