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Like most youngsters, children with physical disabilities are full of enthusiasm and energy. At the Huntingdon College Super Sports, if they happen to use a wheelchair, braces or artificial limb, it attracts no more attention than a reliable pair of tennis shoes. The disabilities are as varied as the kids themselves, but the children share an insatiable desire to have fun, try new things, and prove abilities. This is the idea behind the Super Sports Program, where young people with physical disabilities can enjoy many activities so readily available to their able-bodied peers. Fun, fitness and athletic skill development are obvious benefits, but Super Sports also builds strength, endurance and coordination--traits that make it easier for a child with a disability to open heavy doors, help with family chores or to become more independent. Children learn to focus on their abilities and to welcome new challenges, on and off the courts. Equally important, Huntingdon College students take part in the program, not only to teach new skills, but to serve as positive role models. Exposure to college students who are attempting to better themselves educationally assists the children in developing a positive image of higher education and its benefits. The interaction with college students will serve him or her well as they set their own life goals.
SuperSports in Action Parents are part of the winning formula at Super Sports. Children with physical disabilities are often very dependent on their parents. Mom and Dad are also understandably protective of their young ones, especially when a disability is involved. At Super Sports, parental education helps parents support their children, without restraining them. Just as the children learn from interacting with one another, parents gain insight into how other families have dealt with similar challenges and concerns. Trained staff and volunteers at the Huntingdon College Super Sports Program encourage children to challenge their abilities in a structured, safe environment. The Program takes place in the Delchamps Gymnasium and on the Huntingdon College tennis courts. In addition, outdoor locations are used for seasonal adventure programming. The Huntingdon College Super Sports Program is for young people, ages 5-21, who have physical disabilities. Parents are encouraged to contact the Super Sports Program for an individual evaluation, since many sports and recreational activities can be adapted. The Super Sports Program welcomes volunteer participation. Adapted Recreation Archery Under normal circumstances, shooting the longbow is a six-step procedure. The steps, in order of occurrence, are assuming the correct stance, nocking the arrow, drawing the bowstring, aiming at the target, releasing the bowstring, and following through until the arrow makes contact with the target. One or more of these steps may be problematic and may require some modification in the archer's technique. Several assistive devices are available to aid the archer who has a disability. These include (1) the bow sling, commercially available from most sports shops, which helps stabilize the wrist and hand for good bow control; (2) the below-elbow amputee adapter device, which is held by the terminal end of the prosthesis and requires a slight rotation of the prosthesis to release the strong and the arrow. And (3) the wheelchair bowstringer, which consists of a post buried in the ground with two appropriately spaced bolts around which the archer places the bow to produce enough leverage to string it independently. Wheelchair football is gaining popularity for many disabled persons. The game is played on a hard, flat surface 30 by 60 yards and, with few exceptions, is very similar to touch football. Rule modifications are as follows:
In 1980 the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis (NFWT) was founded to develop and sponsor competition in that sport. The rules for wheelchair tennis are the same as for regular tennis except that the ball is allowed to bounce twice before being returned. The first bounce must land inbounds, while the second bounce may land either inbounds or out-of-bounds.
If mobility is a problem, the court size can be reduced to accommodate the disabled person. This might be accomplished by having players without disabilities defending the entire regulation court while players with disabilities defend only half of their court. It could likewise be accomplished by permitting players to strike the ball on the second bounce.
The National Wheelchair Basketball Association has also modified the game for people confined to wheelchairs.