[blindkid] Baseball question

[Mindy Lipsey]

Many thanks to everyone for your suggestions regarding my son and baseball.
All the feedback has helped tremendously.  I appreciate it.

Mindy Lipsey  Mediaedge:cia
410-530-5555  9207 Harvest Rush Road  Owings Mills, MD  21117  
 


--- On Wed, 4/8/09, Carrie Gilmer <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Carrie Gilmer <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Baseball question
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)'" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 4:55 PM
> Dear Mindy,
> You have received lots of good feedback on this one. It
> tears a bit at our
> hearts when our children find a limit because of blindness
> in something they
> have loved. Unfortunately baseball requires sufficient
> vision, and quite
> good vision, the more competitive it is. Beep ball is great
> but it is not
> the same. It sounds like your son is really interested in
> serious athletic
> competition as well as baseball. Maybe you already know of
> it, but it might
> help him to surf the web site of the United States
> Association of Blind
> Athletes. There are a wide variety of sports, and some
> serious competition
> among blind athletes. There are also places where
> athleticism is possible
> for him with non-disabled athletes. A legally blind woman
> has competed in
> the Iditarod dog sledding, Eric Weinmayer (spelling?)
> remember climbs
> mountains. Some blind wrestlers have competed in all around
> high school
> wrestling.
> 
> It helped me to be able to encourage my son, and to resist
> the temptation to
> feel sorry for my son when he had his own periodic tears or
> moments of
> frustration or feeling sorry for himself because something
> seemed harder or
> not possible because of vision loss, when I remembered (and
> helped him
> realize)that every human has limits. Many an athlete's
> dreams have been
> dashed by an injury too, and I think in Mike's suggestions
> of ways to outlet
> the love of the game I hope he can find other ways to keep
> connected to it.
> I am sure in time he will be okay with it. 
> 
> It is entirely possible that he could grow up to OWN a team
> one day too. It
> might be a tough time for awhile to go through though,
> knowing how much he
> loved it. I hope it does not last long. 
> 
>  
>  
> Carrie Gilmer, President
> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
> A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
> NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
> Home Phone: 763-784-8590
> carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
> www.nfb.org/nopbc
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
> Behalf Of Mindy Lipsey
> Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 7:14 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List (for parents of blind
> children); nfb
> sports
> Subject: [blindkid] Baseball question
> 
> My son has been playing baseball for 4 years.  This is the
> beginning of his
> 5th season.  He is very athletic and has done
> exceptionally well up until
> this year.
>  
> Due to Stargardts, his vision is now 20/200.  This is the
> first year where
> he's now having trouble hitting the ball.  He can catch
> and he has a great
> arm, but he is now swinging too late and continually
> missing the ball.
>  
> He wants to continue playing and doesn't want to quit. 
> But, Josh is also
> frustrated and angry.  Tonight is the first time he's ever
> said he wished he
> didn't have an eye disease.  He says he wishes god would
> have given it to
> another kid who doesn't love sports like he does.
>  
> I realize there are other sports that Josh can continue to
> participate in
> forever.  Wrestling is one sport he began last year and he
> loves it.  But he
> also loves baseball.
>  
> My question for the group is:  Are there any adaptations
> others have tried
> that have allowed their children to continue to play
> baseball?
>  
> Thanks-
> Mindy
> 
> 
> Mindy Lipsey
> Mediaedge:cia
> 410-530-5555
> 9207 Harvest Rush Road
> Owings Mills, MD  21117
> 
>  
> 
> 
>       
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