Barber_1595871001_ch08_127-134.indd

Different Speeds and Different Needs

How to Teach

Gary Barber B.H., P.G.C.E., M.A.

Contents

About the Author

Gary Barber, B.H., P.G.C.E., M.A., is a physical education teacher with over 30 years experience teaching students of all ages, abilities, and varying needs. He was an international-level middle-distance runner and uses his knowledge as the head coach of Islanders Running Club, a running program especially designed for students who have experienced difficulties in other sports. Gary is also the head of SportWrite Education. This is a company that provides parents, teachers, and educators with resources to support all students in finding success and acceptance in sports and physical education.
A sought-after keynote speaker, Gary Barber offers presentations that communicate the importance of inclusion in sports.

Preface

This book is about people with differences. We all look different, behave in different ways, have different interests; yet despite our evolved sensibilities, we have never been very good at accepting people who are different from us. Throughout history we have condemned people with nonconforming views as heretics and perhaps even burned them at the stake. We have enslaved people who look different from us and have fought wars with people who have different customs than ours. We have declared many of our most brilliant thinkers to be either eccentrics or misfits. We have dismissed generations of children who did not learn at the speed or did not have interests that the education system deemed appropriate.

You would think in our modern society we should have made some progress on this issue. Today, we seem to be focused on categorizing and labeling different people with neat scientific descriptors. We have created a vast range of nomenclature to describe behaviors that we consider to be "disorders." We seldom look at the many positive features that accompany some of the challenges that people experience; in fact, we seem to focus more on what people cannot do.

This book is about young athletes with different needs. These young athletes may have visible challenges (a wheelchair athlete or a person with Down syndrome), or less obvious difficulties (perhaps it is a sensory impairment or a learning disability). They may be children who just need a bit of support to help them become confident. This book aims to educate teachers, coaches, and parents about the needs of these "different" children who are seeking to find acceptance in sports, and in a broader context acceptance in life.

Sports for Young Athletes with Physical Difficulties and Coordination and Mobility Challenges

The movement patterns that accompany many sports require the athlete to utilize speed, skill, strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. Difficulties in any one of these areas can compromise the efficiency of movement and present a challenge to the athlete to overcome this issue.

Coordination Difficulties

A lack of coordination in movement has been a source of frustration for many children and teenagers. Most of the activities that form the core of traditional sports programs require some degree of coordination; indeed, success in any skill ranging from a simple forward roll to a basketball lay-up needs the synchronizing of voluntary movements in an efficient manner. Sadly, 6% of school-age children will likely be diagnosed with a developmental coordination disorder (Missiuna, 1995; Smyth, Anderson, & Church, 2001). Students with movement difficulties reported lower perceptions of athletic competence than students without such difficulties (Skinner & Piek, 2001).

What Characterizes Good Coordination?

Good coordination can be observed in athletes demonstrating most of the following skill sets:

Poor coordination can be observed in a child who has problems in gross motor coordination (e.g., jumping, hopping, running, walking) and fine motor coordination (e.g., tying shoelaces, manipulating pencils, and so forth). A young athlete with poor coordination is usually quite easy to identify, and it can be a source of embarrassment to the athlete and potentially the result of a legitimate disorder. It is important for coaches to identify whether the young athlete has general coordination difficulties or sport-specific difficulties.

How to Design a Sports Program for Students with Cerebral Palsy

As with all the conditions discussed in this book, the starting point is always gathering information. Build a picture of your student’s needs; try to understand his or her interests and physical capabilities. About 70% of people with cerebral palsy experience chronic pain in their joints, spine, hip, and so forth. Thus, activity choice may not necessarily be guided by the athlete’s interests, but by a more pragmatic desire to limit or control pain.

Important Considerations When Coaching a Student with Cerebral Palsy

Sports participants with cerebral palsy often have to expend significant levels of energy to create movement. Research has shown that children with cerebral palsy can use up to three times the amount of energy when walking as children without this condition. The coach should recognize this effort by structuring adequate rest periods based on each child’s abilities.

A Checklist to Help Students with Physical Challenges to Participate in Sports

Coaching Techniques