Hey everyone I hope that everybody is enjoying this lovely valentines day with all of this snow! On that note I would like to talk about a topic that we covered in class on Monday. Our class discussion was about people with disabilities and sports. Dr. Spencer first started class of with an activity which had us write down athletes that we know of that have disabilities. In which I was surprised about the amount of athletes that were brought up and how many of them were females. I do not follow a lot of women's sports but I did recognize some of the people that were up there. Then, she asks a question that really struck me and made me think and that is what I want to write about.
Dr. Spencer asked us if our experiences in sport would differ if we had a disability? at first I thought no not at all but then I really did think about it and made me realize how much tougher it would have been to compete. I played at a high level my whole life which was a challenge in itself and then if I had a Disability it would have been way harder. I am afraid if I was in that situation if I would have even continued playing or gotten discouraged from everybody else who had an advantage over me. My other thought though was if I had a disability would it have made e try even harder just to prove to everyone that it does not matter as long as you try.
In my personal opinion I believe it would have motivated me even more that what i already was and it could have made me a better athlete in a sense and a better person by being able to realize what a great opportunity everybody has to play sports because some people do not get that chance. Another factor that led me to think this was my families support knowing my dad he would not have let a disability stop me he would have done everything possible for me to succeed just like what he did for me when I was growing up. My brother once had what I would consider a disability in which it sidelined him for half a hockey season and a full baseball season. After watching what he went through and what my dad did for him pushing him to get back on his "horse", I know he would have done the same because now even after being sidelined for an entire season my brother is playing college baseball.
My question to the readers is whether or not they agree with me. If you do explain why. Or if you do not, I would like to know your reasoning.
Matt Konyesni
I want to preface this by saying this was a very good entry Matt. I agree with him on all of his points besides his first. When confronted with the question of whether or not a disability would hinder one's sport participation I said yes because their learning curve would be steeper. They would have to put more work in the physical, mental, or physiological side of sport than other kids.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that I really agree with Matt on is that I would have appreciated playing more. I played football for ten years, and I love every second of it. I feel as though I would have really cherished everything about if I had a disability because there was times where I just went through the motions of practice. I feel as though I would have given 100% every single time if I had a disability. I truly believe that people with disabilities that play sports have the truly love for the game because they are never expecting to go to the pros or anything. They play because they love it.
Matt McCarroll
Matt,
DeleteIn my opinion, there are two main areas that are affected differently in athletes with disabilities than in athletes who are not – physical aspects, namely mobility, and psychological aspects, namely self-confidence. In regards to physical disadvantages, the biggest deficit is that of mobility and the efficiency that one goes about performing the sport, interacts, and/or reacts with ones teammates. These are all crucial parts of teamwork, and are certainly impacted by a wide array of physical or mental disabilities. The second area of disadvantage, psychological, affects athletes in the degree that they are self-confident and ultimately determines the level of their performance. I say that disabilities may affect self-confidence because when you are competing with and against other athletes who do not have the same disadvantage, it can be intimidating and judgmental at the same time.
I know this was not a very in-depth explanation, but I am glad that I got a chance to express my two cents on the matter at the very least.
Until next time,
Neil Jenkins
Matt –
ReplyDeleteYou’re right about how disabilities can stand in the way of athletes who want to compete in sports at elite levels, let alone having the freedom to play at all. Your post made me wonder how this circumstance could change someone’s mind about studying sports. When students introduced themselves at the beginning of the semester a lot of reasons people had for choosing sport management as a major was because sports were a huge part of their lives. I wonder if this could discourage someone from playing sports if it could also discourage them from going on to make sports their line of work. The article we read by Anderson mentioned that several girls’ role models were their coaches who also experienced disabilities and yet continued to work in sports. I wonder if those coaches were among the few people with disabilities who never gave up on their passion for sports or if it usually inspires them to change their career direction.
-Lauren
I agree that by having a disability it could change how you participated in a sport. When answering that question in class I said that I might not have been involved in sports or physical activities. I have danced for 10 years of my life and that is something that I might not have gotten into if I had a physical disability. I would like to think that I would be determined enough to push through the difficulties that I would have to face, but I do not know if I would have that determination and drive to do so. I highly respect any athlete that has overcome their disabilities and been successful in what they do. I think that it is an accomplishment that is sometimes overlooked. I know that I have not really heard of many athletes with disabilities.
ReplyDelete-Kaitlin Gauvey
After talking about athletes with disabilities in class, I wanted to share the following clip from ESPN: Outside the Lines. It was on Kyle Maynard, a 25-year old who was born without arms and legs (the condition is called congenital amputation). Despite his disabilities, Kyle has participated in wrestling, football, and MMA. His current challenge was to climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro which he completed on January 17, 2012. Here is the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czXTkNyzF98
ReplyDelete