[Sportsandrec] Big Fun in Motor City!
Lisamaria Martinez, NOMC
lmartinez217 at gmail.com
Wed Jul 15 05:14:46 UTC 2009
Hey, write up your yoga experiences for Competition Corner.
LM
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rania" <raniaismail04 at gmail.com>
To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List"
<sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 5:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Big Fun in Motor City!
>I agree with Ashly. How did the yoga go? I am asking because I have been
>working 1 on 1 with my instructor for almost 2 months and really like it. i
>am now able to share my yoga experience with others.
> Rania,
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List"
> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 8:03 PM
> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Big Fun in Motor City!
>
>
>> Hi,
>> This sounds like a successful time. How many in attendance at the main
>> events: swimming, judo, and rowing? What happened at the rowing event?
>> A contest like last year? If so, how was it conducted? By distance
>> probably. Who won it?
>>
>> Obviously the swim event was in the pool. What about the judo and rowing
>> events? Hotels don't exactly have large open gyms. I guess they have a
>> workout room like many hotels though. You'd need a soft floor for judo
>> since you're practicing falling.
>> How many kids came to the intro to
>> judo workshops?
>>
>> Stacy said
>> "it was sobering and disheartening to see how many blind kids make it to
>> the age of 15 or 16 without having learned how to do such basic exercises
>> as sit-ups or trunk twists. We sure do have a lot of work to do in
>> ensuring that blind youth have the same opportunities and high
>> expectations as sighted youth in even the most basic physical fitness
>> activities."
>>
>> I agree and I'm glad you all are reaching out to parents and kids. I
>> know exactly the problem since I experienced it in public school. My TVI
>> was great about teaching me braille, getting my books/handouts in
>> alternative formats, and advocating with me to my mainstream teachers.
>> However while she knew how to adapt academic matterial she did not know
>> how to facilitate and integrate me into PE classes.
>> PE classes are quite visual where the instructor leads the class by
>> demonstration through warmups and conditioning and then works on sports
>> skills. Sometimes they had other students show me what to do. Other
>> times some special ed assistant came in and tried to help but wasn't
>> trained in PE. I did participate in many activities such as running
>> with a partner. So my experience was mixed.
>>
>> Still I missed out on some of the basics. So I can only imagine how bad
>> it is for teens who don't have the support and advocacy from parents I
>> did. It really doesn't surprise me they are missing out on basic
>> physical fitness. Its sad but true.
>> As a young adult I learned some basic stuff and improved on my technique
>> on some body exercises with a personal trainer.
>> Those exercises were the same Stacy mentioned: situps, pushups, bicep
>> curls etc. I had an idea how to do it but my form was off since I hadn't
>> seen it.
>>
>> Sports and Rec should do events with the kids again and continue to be a
>> resource to young kids.
>>
>> Ashley
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Cervenka, Stacy (Brownback)" <Stacy_Cervenka at brownback.senate.gov>
>> To: <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2009 2:11 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Big Fun in Motor City!
>>
>>
>>> Joe,
>>>
>>> I'm glad that you and Jesse got a chance to do that. As I wrote below in
>>> my little summary of my own convention memories, I think that this is an
>>> area where we in Sports and Rec can really jump in and fill a need that
>>> the rest of NFB isn't always able to meet at Conventions. It's great
>>> that the Parents Division knows that they can turn to us as a resource
>>> when it comes to getting blind youth physically active.
>>>
>>> I am curious as to whether your experiences with the youth at "Back And
>>> Biceps, Chest And Triceps" were similar to those we had at "You Like To
>>> Move It, Move It!" We sure do have a long way to go!
>>>
>>> Anyway, here are a few of my favorite Sports and Rec memories from
>>> Convention '09.
>>>
>>> 1. Sports Extravaganza Swimming Event- The Sports Extravaganza swimming
>>> event on Friday was one of the most enjoyable and memorable parts of the
>>> Convention for me.
>>>
>>> It was great to work with Annie and then Tristan on my flip turns. They
>>> both did a fantastic job of ensuring that everyone got a lot of one on
>>> one instruction and of keeping things organized and moving along. Thank
>>> you both for doing this! I hope it was as rewarding for you as it was
>>> for us!!
>>>
>>> Besides the swimming itself, one of the best parts of this event was
>>> just waiting alongside the wall of the pool and chatting, joking, doing
>>> water judo, dunking, and getting dunked by Greg, Christella, Romeo,
>>> Danielle, LM, and Tina. What a fun crew!
>>>
>>> 2. You Like To Move It, Move It! (Kids Judo Events)- On Saturday
>>> afternoon, Greg, LM, Christella, Danielle and I hosted two intro to judo
>>> (and intro to working out in general) sessions for the kids whose
>>> parents were attending the Parents Division events. For the first hour
>>> and a half, we had the kids in junior high and high school. Although we
>>> met many fun, intelligent teens, I have to admit that it was sobering
>>> and disheartening to see how many blind kids make it to the age of 15 or
>>> 16 without having learned how to do such basic exercises as sit-ups or
>>> trunk twists. We sure do have a lot of work to do in ensuring that blind
>>> youth have the same opportunities and high expectations as sighted youth
>>> in even the most basic physical fitness activities.
>>>
>>> After the teen session, we had another hour and a half session with the
>>> kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. We actually got a lot more
>>> done with the younger kids. As a group, they seemed to be more
>>> cooperative and enthusiastic than the teens. They also seemed to be in
>>> slightly better shape and more accustomed to physical exercise. I would
>>> like to tell myself that this is because we keep making progress and
>>> that things are getting better for each subsequent generation of blind
>>> youth. I suspect, however, that this is only because the canyon that
>>> separates where the kids are and what is age appropriate is less wide
>>> and less pronounced when a kid is 6 than when he or she is 16. (Teaching
>>> a kid who is 6 how to do a sit-up is cute and fun. You hope it will
>>> stick and lead to more physical activity. Teaching a kid who is 16 how
>>> to do a sit-up, however, is kind of sad and feels a little like putting
>>> a band-aid on a traumatic brain injury.)
>>>
>>> The highlight of the older kids session for me was that one kid, Roman,
>>> really got into it and wanted to start judo when he got home. He even
>>> showed up at the Sports Extravaganza judo event the next day, so it's
>>> nice to know we planted a seed. At the younger kids' session, I enjoyed
>>> seeing a little girl who was a blind wheelchair user and in better shape
>>> than many of the kids who were only blind. She seemed to be fairly
>>> accustomed to standard exercises, was able to do the holds and pins we
>>> taught, and was more than willing to get rough and take a few knocks.
>>> There was also another little girl who had braces on her legs and who
>>> took quite a shine to Greg!! Haha! I think he even got a kiss! Then, of
>>> course, at the end of the younger kids' class, LM had the brilliantly
>>> evil idea of having all 25 kids tag team Greg. Gabby, the girl who used
>>> the wheelchair sounded the call, "Come on, everybody! Let's get Greg!"
>>> and a pile on ensued. I think one of the fathers who had come in by that
>>> point was a little concerned for Greg's safety until Greg emerged
>>> victorious from underneath the squirming pile, holding two kids up by
>>> the collar and declaring, "I am the veener!"
>>>
>>> Looking back, I kind of think that this was Sports and Rec at our best,
>>> with everybody pitching in to help and to mentor the next generation of
>>> blind youth. This is exactly what we should be doing. We all worked well
>>> together and everybody brought his or her strengths, experience, and
>>> creativity to the table. I hope we can do it again next year.
>>>
>>> 3. Sports and Recreation Division Meeting- Unfortunately, I was only
>>> able to make it to the Sports and Rec Division meeting for Tyler,
>>> Jordan, and Greg's panel about their experiences at the 2008 Paralympics
>>> in Beijing. All three speakers did a fantastic job. I was sorry to have
>>> missed the human knot and yoga exercises! Well done, LM and Christella!
>>>
>>> 4. Sports Extravaganza Judo Event- Christella organized a hugely
>>> successful and fun 3 hour judo clinic on Sunday night. The class was
>>> taught by Winfornd Haynes, Greg, Romeo, and Christella. Danielle and I
>>> helped with a few of the younger kids, but mainly we just participated
>>> and soaked up knowledge. Again, it was nice to see one of the teens from
>>> the Parents Division seminar from the day before show up. Danielle and I
>>> had a lot of fun working with Romeo and Christella on a few throws we
>>> both have trouble with. I'm also pleased to report that Jason Ewell told
>>> me this morning that the judo clinic was the highlight of the Convention
>>> for a guy named Jacob from Cleveland. I guess Jacob's been talking the
>>> event up to a lot of people. Well done, Christella, Greg, and anyone
>>> else on this list who helped out or attended!
>>>
>>> 5. Sports Extravaganza Rowing Event- By the time I got to the rowing
>>> event, things were winding down, but there was still a fair number of
>>> people there. Quite a few members of a local rowing club were on hand
>>> and there were 6 rowing machines, so everyone got lots of personal
>>> attention and feedback. It was also nice chatting with two different
>>> blind people who row (one Paralympian and one who has only started
>>> racing this year). And it was cool to get one on one instruction on
>>> technique and measure myself against others in my age group. Thanks,
>>> Ariel, for putting this together!
>>>
>>> And, of course, rooming with Greg, Christella, and Joe Hamilton was like
>>> being at a Sports and Rec event around the clock! Good times!
>>>
>>> All in all, I think that the Sports and Rec Division and sports and
>>> recreation activities in general are a bigger, more prominent part of
>>> Convention than ever before. I can't wait to see how we raise the bar
>>> next year!
>>>
>>> Stacy
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>>
>>
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>
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