People with disabilities have to deal with a lot in their lives.
I believe that they have a right to play the same sports that people with non-disabilities
get to play. Youth sports are not about who wins or losses; they are about
having fun and learning valuable life lessons. Playing with or against someone
that has a disability can teach a young person that everyone is equal and just
because that person may look different; they really are not and should be
treated fairly. It is sad to think that parents or coaches may become upset if
someone with a disability plays well and dominates the competition. Someone
with a disability that overcomes difficult obstacles should be inspirational to
parents, coaches, and especially the athletes involved. I know that if I had a disability,
I would be extremely self-conscious about it and I highly doubt that I would
play any types of sports if I was born with a disability. I have a lot of
respect for people that are born with disabilities that play sports. It takes a
lot of courage and determination to go out on the field and ignore what everyone
is saying about you. Also, the obstacles that they have to overcome are very
impressive.
-Corey Krupa
I agree with you Corey, and I commend all those people with disabilities who continue to put in work and participates in sports. But at the same time people with disabilities have to realize that although you may be at a disadvantage, as competition gets more and more difficult people will have less pity for those people with disabilities. I agree that in youth sports all kids should have equal rights and equal opportunities to play, but to what extent? For example, when I was in middle school we had a kid at our school who was half blind and was diagnosed with Glaucoma. He wanted to play basketball, because basketball was his favorite sport. He made the team and actually played a couple of games, he struggled being able to keep up with the game and was having a hard time. I respected him for going out and trying to play the game in which he loved. But there comes a point where you have to tell this kid maybe basketball is not the sport you should be able to play, but instead you can be the team manager or something in that nature. All I am saying is that there comes a point where people with disabilities plateau and can not get any better because of their limitations and that we should encourage them to look at it in that perspective. Everybody is different and can perform different things, if your disability is affecting your skill set for a particular sport then that's when someone should step in and encourage the kid to move on.
ReplyDeleteHaving a disability in sport is not only a struggle physically for the competitor but mentally as well. I say this because people with disabilities in sport sometimes attract more attention than they want for competing with their disability against other competitors whom are fully able. In little leagues and grade school/high school sporting competitions people with disabilities should be able to participate. Although playing time may decrease for those with disabilities as they grow physically with others, disabled players still should have the opportunity to be a part of a program or team. As for pro and collegiate sports I feel that programs should allow disabled players. Having said that the participation of disabled players in pro and collegiate sports is still going to have its issues. This is not a problem necessarily; it is just something that needs to be regulated.
ReplyDeleteJay Clark
Corey,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you noted that when playing youth sports it is not about who wins or loses, cause I completely agree with that and that is also the reason I think children with disabilities should still be able to participate in youth sport. In today's day and age there are too many parents who view youth sports as a medium for them to relive their foregone days of athletic competition, which is not fair to the youth because it fosters such an environment of extreme competition that it can be discouraging for kids with disabilities to play for fear of their disability "costing the team the game", even though it is just youth sports and kids are only there to play for fun and for experience.
-Travis Kash
I agree that having a disability shouldn’t be something that keeps a person from enjoying sports. In youth sport especially, many important life lessons are taught that help to give structure and purpose to the lives of young people. Just because someone is suffering from a disability doesn’t mean they should be excluded from playing sports and playing on a team where you learn way more than just how to play the sport. Anyone who has ever been on a team knows that you learn how to be a good teammate and how to pick up your fellow man/woman when they’re having a rough time. Youth sport can also instill the value of hard work in young people and put simply no one would should be denied the chance to gain these values, least of all people with disabilities.
ReplyDeleteMax Perry