[Sportsandrec] clueless coaches

Sat Aug 11 02:20:35 UTC 2012

I totally agree with you about that regarding organizing sports just for 
blind or VI kids somewhere like a blind school.  The other point you 
mentioned is something my mom beat her head against a wall all the time 
I was growing up because she called virtually every sport in Las Vegas 
where we lived and no one was willing to let me in their karate club or 
swimming class or anything. We didn't have NFB contacts or anything to 
help us advocate so not only did I NOT get the mainstream experience the 
sighted kids didn't get to see me do anything either.  But thankfully we 
had challenger little league even if it was all severely handicapped 
kids I at least got to play with my beeper baseballs without breaking 
all my neighbors' windows. <grin>
Mike S

On 8/10/2012 2:24 PM, Joe Shaw wrote:
> Hey Mike,
> I appreciate your experience. However, I think every blind kid has 
> some horror story from school growing up. P.E. is one reason why I'm a 
> believer in schools for the blind. It's one of the only ones, but 
> sports which build confidence and being around other blind kids seeing 
> that you're okay are good things in my opinion. If I had a blind kid 
> in public school, I would handle the situation better now. First, it's 
> easier now as my sighted kids and other kids across the country are 
> having p.e. phased out of school anyway for the most part. Why are we 
> fat as a nation? However, my blind kid would be excused from p.e. to 
> avoid the entire sighted class having to adapt part of the time and my 
> blind child being a weirdo. My lil blind baby would be enrolled in 
> sports year-round he could play on a level field just as are my 
> sighted kids and it would count toward little Johnny's grade.
> JS
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike" <underthetoaster at gmail.com>
> To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List" 
> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, August 10, 2012 1:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] clueless coaches
>
>
>> Hi guys,my PE teacher in junior high's favorite sport for the totally 
>> blind was frisbee with no adaptation. Talk about cluless. He would 
>> go, ok Mike hold up your hands, then throw the frisbee.
>> That got old real fast. And I got a C for constantly strewing around 
>> since I really couldn't do any of the unadapted things. It was very 
>> lame.
>> Mike S
>>
>>
>>
>> On 8/10/2012 10:01 AM, Jessica Kostiw wrote:
>>> (Ashley and I went to the same middle and high schools.)  Ashley, 
>>> who was
>>> your aid?  I never had one... In middle school another student and I 
>>> went
>>> into another room with a tred mill.  The student loved it b/c she 
>>> was pretty
>>> much getting out of PE.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>> [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ashley Bramlett
>>> Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 6:03 PM
>>> To: Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List
>>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] clueless coaches
>>>
>>> I see what Jody is saying; as I grew older as a teen and now adult I 
>>> do what
>>>
>>> I want without too much concern about others perceptions.
>>> No I won't appologize for the extra work of accomodations as I have 
>>> a right
>>> to be in a class or workshop.
>>> That said, fitness instructors and PE teachers are clueless about 
>>> how to
>>> adapt games and help us. Someone has to educate them. Its not always 
>>> the
>>> kids, they do not know what to say. A little kid, say ten years old, 
>>> isn't
>>> going to boldly go up to their teacher  and say what they can do or 
>>> tell the
>>>
>>> teacher how to teach; kids just do not do that.
>>> It's the teacher's role and parent's role to help.
>>>
>>> As for aids, no Jody I don't agree with your comment. Aids, 
>>> especially in
>>> PE, can serve a valuable role. I do not see evidence for being 
>>> better off
>>> without an aid. How on earth are you better off when you do not get the
>>> visual info everyone else learns or sees a demonstration.
>>> How are you better off when the class sees a video and the aid  is 
>>> not there
>>>
>>> to describe it?
>>> School is more visual now; in your days jody, you had more lecture; 
>>> now you
>>> have videos, computer programs teaching concepts, and other multimedia
>>> presentations such as powerpoint and adobe flash.
>>> An aid can show or describe hands on what to do. As for my 
>>> experience in PE,
>>>
>>> it sucked mostly. My O&M instructor did educate them some; they asked
>>> another student in class to show me some of the exercises. For 
>>> running, I
>>> did that with a student partner. In middle school, the emphasis was on
>>> sports games. We cannot get involved there as you can get hit by a ball
>>> easily. Yes we can play with audible balls in a small group; but we 
>>> cannot
>>> play those games like soccer or volleyball without help.
>>> In middle school, an aid or my O&M instructor took me out of PE and 
>>> we went
>>> to the weight room to use the weight machines or the cardio equipment.
>>> I would do the warm up calisthenics
>>> with the class. Then we went to the other room to do something else 
>>> while
>>> the class did their ball games.
>>> The aide came from the autism room. I did not have a full time aide
>>> supervising me like some blind kids have.
>>>
>>> A student should advocate at age appropriate times and politely. 
>>> That comes
>>> with practice and maturity. A good TVI will help teach advocacy.
>>> I support advocacy definitely, but I think it falls on the parents and
>>> special ed teachers to help at a young age.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Justin.Williams2
>>> Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 11:44 AM
>>> To: 'Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List'
>>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] clueless coaches
>>>
>>> Yes,  that is what I am talking.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>> [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
>>> jody at thewhitehats.com
>>> Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 11:58 AM
>>> To: 'Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List'
>>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] clueless coaches
>>>
>>> Hi Justin,
>>>
>>> Yes, you are right, I was really just repeating the expression but I 
>>> don't
>>> ask for forgiveness either.  I just go ahead and do what I planned 
>>> and if
>>> someone has a problem with it, first I educate, then if someone 
>>> still has a
>>> problem I tell them they are in my way and suggest they step aside.
>>> Figuratively but it could be literally too.
>>>
>>> JODY
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>>
>>
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