Spring Break
Event aims to offer insight into disabled sports
Angela Marino
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: News
Disabled Sports Day is an attempt to bring awareness to SJSU students about a topic usually forgotten by able-bodied people, said a student involved in planning the event.
David Salles, a junior double major in adapted physical education and kinesiology, said the event is planned by the Kinesiology 159 class.
"The Disability Sports Day event is planned to bring awareness and to show others that the disabled are capable of doing sports," he said.
Disability Sports Day will be held Nov. 9, between 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Spartan Complex Room 44B.
Nancy Megginson, a kinesiology professor and Disability Sports Day adviser, said the event will be set up in an educational setting to not only allow participants to have fun with the sports, but to learn something as well.
"There will be a variety of sports, such as wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair table tennis, bocce ball and speed stacking," she said.
Throughout a period of the three hours, organizers will introduce a particular sport, then have the participants play that sport, Megginson said.
Once the game is finished, organizers will clean up and move onto a new sport, Megginson said.
"During the clean-up time, organizers will have raffles and free food for the participants," Salles said.
The event is organized by the adapted physical activity club, and money is raised from sponsors for Disability Sports Day with profits going toward the club.
Cynequa Caldwell, a senior kinesiology major and president of the club, said not many people know that disabled people can perform in sports.
"Of course, we have to modify the sports to enable them to play them, but like any athlete, they have heart and drive to perform," Caldwell said.
The club also supports practical and theoretical endeavors in physical activity and recreation for people with disabilities to promote appropriate active lifestyles, according to the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation Web site.
Something has to be there for disabled athletes, Caldwell said. Otherwise, he added, it can be a very depressing lifestyle if their hearts are in sports.
Senior kinesiology major Kenneth Cummings said Disability Sports Day brings awareness to a topic that is otherwise not recognized.
"A lot of students without disabilities aren't exposed to students with disabilities," Cummings said. "They don't know a lot of sports that are specifically for disabled athletes."
The event usually raises just enough money to cover operating costs, Cummings said. "It would be great to have students participate in this event to help raise awareness for disability sports and to educate themselves on the topic," he said.
David Salles, a junior double major in adapted physical education and kinesiology, said the event is planned by the Kinesiology 159 class.
"The Disability Sports Day event is planned to bring awareness and to show others that the disabled are capable of doing sports," he said.
Disability Sports Day will be held Nov. 9, between 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Spartan Complex Room 44B.
Nancy Megginson, a kinesiology professor and Disability Sports Day adviser, said the event will be set up in an educational setting to not only allow participants to have fun with the sports, but to learn something as well.
"There will be a variety of sports, such as wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair table tennis, bocce ball and speed stacking," she said.
Throughout a period of the three hours, organizers will introduce a particular sport, then have the participants play that sport, Megginson said.
Once the game is finished, organizers will clean up and move onto a new sport, Megginson said.
"During the clean-up time, organizers will have raffles and free food for the participants," Salles said.
The event is organized by the adapted physical activity club, and money is raised from sponsors for Disability Sports Day with profits going toward the club.
Cynequa Caldwell, a senior kinesiology major and president of the club, said not many people know that disabled people can perform in sports.
"Of course, we have to modify the sports to enable them to play them, but like any athlete, they have heart and drive to perform," Caldwell said.
The club also supports practical and theoretical endeavors in physical activity and recreation for people with disabilities to promote appropriate active lifestyles, according to the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation Web site.
Something has to be there for disabled athletes, Caldwell said. Otherwise, he added, it can be a very depressing lifestyle if their hearts are in sports.
Senior kinesiology major Kenneth Cummings said Disability Sports Day brings awareness to a topic that is otherwise not recognized.
"A lot of students without disabilities aren't exposed to students with disabilities," Cummings said. "They don't know a lot of sports that are specifically for disabled athletes."
The event usually raises just enough money to cover operating costs, Cummings said. "It would be great to have students participate in this event to help raise awareness for disability sports and to educate themselves on the topic," he said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
denny
posted 11/03/09 @ 8:21 PM PST
Great to see schools putting on events to promote disability awareness. I wrote a short entry about your event at http://www.themuha.com/iword feel free to check it out
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