[Oabs] Fwd: Showdown

[Kaiti Shelton]

Here is the information I have on Showdown for those who are interested. I played it last summer and play was fun but could be intense. We got so competitive at one point that we broke the showdown ball and needed to get materials from a Wal-Mart in the nearest town to make a replacement. 

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Brunhilde Merk-Adam <bmerkadam at gmail.com>
> Date: August 6, 2014 at 8:15:39 AM EDT
> To: undisclosed-recipients:;
> Subject: Showdown
> 
> History. Joe Lewis, a totally blind Canadian, invented the game in the 1960´s. He wanted to find a sport which could be played recreationally and/or competitively without sighted assistance. Over the years, Patrick York, a Canadian athlete who is also totally blind, collaborated with Lewis on refinements to the rules and equipment.
> 
> Showdown was an international success at its debut as a recreational sport during the 1980 Olympiad for the Physically Disabled in Arnhem, Holland. International interest was sparked and showdown has been played recreationally at the: 1984 Olympics       for the Disabled in Long Island, USA; 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, Korea; 1990 World Youth Games in St. Etienne, France; 1990 World Championships in Assen, The Netherlands; 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona, Spain; and most recently at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA.
> 
> Showdown is a fast-moving sport originally designed for people with a visual impairment, but you don't have to be blind to play! Sighted people and those with conditions other than blindness find this game exciting and challenging. Sometimes it is mistakenly referred to as table tennis for the blind because it is a table game. However, unlike table tennis, a court is not marked on a Showdown table and points are scored by hitting the ball into a goal pocket located at the end of the table.
> FYI - In the US, the sport is know as Power-Showdown.
> 
> 
> The link for the USABA rules is currently broken but the ISABA Rules can be found at the following:
> 
> http://www.veenland.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ISR-IBSA-Showdown-Rules-juni-2013-2017.pdf
> 
> 
> 
> Showdown is a fast-moving sport originally designed for people with a visual impairment, but you don´t have to be blind to play! Sometimes it is mistakenly referred to as table tennis for the blind because it is a table game. However, it does not have courts marked on the table; therefore points are scored by hitting the ball into a goal pocket. Sighted people and those with disabling conditions other than blindness fin d this game challenging.
> 
> Joe Lewis, a totally blind Canadian, had an idea in 1977 to create a game or sport which could be played recreationally and/or competitively without sighted assistance.
> 
> Patrick York, a Canadian athlete who is also totally blind, collaborated with Lewis on refinements to the rules and equipment. Patrick York was also the major influence in             creating the table design. After years of working together the first table and the game of Showdown was played in 1980.
> 
> Showdown was an international success at its debut as a recreational sport during the 1980 Olympiad for the Physically Disabled in Arnhem, Holland. International interest was sparked and Showdown has been played recreationally at the: 1984 Olympics for the Disabled in Long Island, USA; 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, Korea; 1990 World Youth Games in St. Etienne, France; 1990 World Championships in Assen, The Netherlands; 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona, Spain; 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta USA: In 1998 World games in Madrid Spain. And in 1999, at the Pam-am games in Mexico City.
> 
> 
> The sport is inexpensive to start up, requires minimal maintenance, and can be played in a room the size of a classroom or meeting room. The only equipment needed is the specially designed table, two bats, special ball into which metal BBs have been inserted, and A SPECIAL glove for the batting hand, and opaque eye protection. Sound produced by the BBs rolling around inside the ball indicates the location of the ball during the play.
> 
> Showdown is easy to learn. The object of the game is to bat the ball off the side wall, along the table, under the centre screen, and into the opponent´s goal. The first player to reach eleven points, leading by two or more points, is the winner. Each player serves two times in a row. Player score two points for a goal and one point when their opponent hits the ball into the screen, hits the ball off the table, or touches the ball with anything but the bat or batting hand.
> 
> Showdown Table and Equipment
> 
> Table: Showdown tables (mostly wood) measure 12’ by 4’ with rounded corners and a 6” high wall encircling the game surface. There is a goal pocket at each end and an 18” high centerboard screen to block errant shots
> Bat: Showdown bats resemble small cricket bats with a 4” handle and a 12” by 4” elongated wooden blade or paddle
> Balls: Showdown balls are racquetball-sized, made of hard, hollow plastic, and are filled with BBs that rattle enabling players to track its movement
> Pads: Most players wear gloves and hand padding as the hard ball can travel at high speeds.
>