Soccer/Soccability

One of the things I really appreciate about the school program the darling seven year old attends is the special events that occur.  There is the blind hockey, braille challenge (not that we participate in that anymore...) and just the other day there was a sports day specifically to introduce the kids with vision impairments soccer and goal ball.  I was able to be there for the soccer.  Goal ball I'm sure was a bust and the child did mention she didn't like it very much.  In goal ball all players must be blind folded to even the playing field so each player is participating with the same challenge.  Soccer does not seem to have that same requirement.

Unfortunately for the little darling her vision impairment is not the only thing that slows her participation in sport but also her left sided hemiplegia.  Much of the skills being taught required equal coordination of both feet.  She gave it the college try and I think if she was motivated to play she could overcome that obstacle.  My girl is a bit of a perfectionist and if she is not successful first go or if something seems hard at school she is easily willing to throw in the towel.  We are getting to a point of maturity I am hoping though that it is more words she is using such as "this is too hard I don't want to do it" all the while continuing to master the skill.  It is not that she doesn't have determination because if anyone is going to learn how to do a handstand it will be her as she makes dozens of attempts each day but it is more along the lines of her having the same sticktoitiveness to all new things that I hope she develops.

It was a good day to spend with other kids who share similar challenges while learning that they too can participate in sports like their sighted peers do.  At one point when the child was winging about it was hard running and oh how hot she was etc I told her that there needed to be at least one person in this family that was an athlete and at this point all our hopes were on her.  She didn't know what to do with that but later when speaking to one of her sisters she did boast that she was the athlete in the family.  Being that that particular teen's most athletic activity is bending over to pick up her iPad she was happy to let the child have that title.

I also enjoy these special events as I am still on a huge learning curve when it comes to vision impairments and how kids other than mine cope.

I LOVE this picture!

This picture scares me! Adorable nonetheless