2012 PARALYMPICS AT PENINSULA HERITAGE SCHOOL

written by Kim Nygaard, Peninsula Heritage School

"Everyone is different" is something I used to hear growing up, and is now something I teach. Being an athlete most of my life and participating in competition levels ranging from youth sports, to High School, to College, and then adult international sports, I have always been driven to compete - in my mind - compete to win! What would happen if all that was somehow taken from me at an early age?

Being a physical education teacher/coach for more than 30 years, I have observed students and athletes on different levels. I have taught basic skills including locomotors, rhythms, ball, jump roping, fitness and more. As the years went on I realized just how important not only teaching sport skills to children was, but to emphasize that their social, life skills (including self-esteem, confidence, and character) was going to be the defining line to their success.

Every year I bring to my PE classes, and to the conferences I speak at, a new and innovative way to teach all these skills to the children. I began introducing real life adventures to my classes. I made PE fun and a worldly experience. I started off with my Survivor…PE Style years ago, forming tribes, and introducing the simplicity and difficulty in working cooperatively and competitively within a group with "different" athletic abilities. Not only were the challenges physical but also mental, using strategies of memory, common sense, and logic. Other adventures I have brought to my classes include:

• Amazing Race around the world
• Iditarod Dog Sled Race of Alaska
• Pirate's Adventures
• Passport to Play around the world
• Art of archery
• Summer & Winter Olympics
  

This year for our metric week celebration, I introduced the children to the Tour de France and set up a 21 stage Tour de France on tricycles. I also used a trick bike and a spin bike. Not only did we learn about the race, we experienced it. 

Every year, as we move into our physical fitness unit, it saddens me to see how children don't like to run, or doing sit ups and pushups seem more a job of low enjoyment to them. I have never seen children try to get out of working out. The understanding of child obesity is not a concern to them. I guess my frustration level was reached when a young child (elementary) said "I'm too tired to run; I don't want to run anymore!" That's when I decided to introduce the "Paralympic Games" to the children.

Over the summer I started researching paralympic athletes and events. I was so intrigued with all the information that was out there, and realized I needed to teach my children more about what is outside of their comfort level and community. In doing this research it brought me back to my younger days working camps with children having disabilities. I also worked with Special Olympics. Special Olympics differ from Paralympics. The Special Olympians has intellectual disabilities whereas the Paralympians has physical disabilities. I think the hardest part of having and competing with a disability is other people's attitudes. I watched some YouTube videos and listened to what the athletes said.

Before starting our Paralympics, I had the children research a paralympic athlete. We talked about the athlete's disability and how it affected their performance. It was an eye opener for my children when they learned that some of these athletes were not disabled until an accident occurred. Some who were researched were:

• Beth Arnoult - wheelchair tennis (paralyzed in an ATV accident)
• Mark Barr -Swimming (lost his leg to a tumor at age 14)
• Eric Bennett - Wheelchair Archery (lost his rt. Arm above the elbow in a bad roll over car accident, age 15)
• Jim Bob Bizzell (one of my favorites) - Track (lost part of his leg in motorcycle accident)
• Cody Bureau - swimming (farming accident lost his hand)
• Scot Hollonbeck - Cycling (spine was smashed by a drunk driver, age 15

We had an Opening Ceremony and the children chose their events. We discussed the Paralympic symbol and motto. We hung flags from around the world. The children participated in 4-6 events. Visit the Paralympics in London 2012 site to see a description of the events. Below are the events I used, and how I had to use my creativity for these events.

• Table Tennis: I used portable nets on long tables. The children’s paddles were tied to the back of their hands. They had to try and hit the ball off the paddle (this gave them a sense of playing with no hands).
• Wheelchair Fencing: The children sat in chairs Indian style. They used pool noodles to jab at each other. They had to use one hand only; the other hand was behind their backs (This gave them the understanding of how important legs are for power and strength. When they don't have legs, they found their balance and strength were not present.).
• Sitting Volleyball: I lowered a net and they tried playing volleyball sitting down. We also practiced as visually impaired athletes and had a sheet over the net (This helped with their concentration levels.).
• Wheelchair Boccia: The children sat in chairs Indian styles. They rolled the balls out to see who could get closest to the small white ball (This once again was difficult because you don't have the support of your legs for strength and balance.).
• 5 on 5 Soccer: I made a ball by placing bells inside. This game is for the blind and partially blind athletes. I found black glasses that had pin holes in them which were very difficult to see through. It worked perfectly for the children to be partially blind. The goalies had blindfolds on. (This was a silent game where other senses were brought into the competition. Hearing the ball and reacting to the bells was quite frustrating to the children who realized having no disabilities was much easier.)
• Goal Ball: I used the balls I made with bells inside. One team were the goalies and the other team were the shooters. The children were blindfolded and tried to make goals by the defenders, who were also blindfolded trying to save the goals. (I think this was a favorite. It was quite difficult playing in silence for the most part. Children love to cheer and make noise, but in a competition with blindness they had to use self control and keep quiet.)

I feel this was my BEST PE Adventure yet. I felt a sense of accomplishment and success as I watched the children compete. For some children it was exciting and fun. Other students had a difficult time and wanted to compete with their whole abilities, not just some. It was an eye opener to them and has opened up a whole new aspect of athletes. I am sure they will watch the London 2012 Paralympics this summer and have a greater appreciation for people who are different.

Hope you have enjoyed my article, and will participate in observing the Paralympics this summer. We can all ask ourselves, as I did in my first paragraph, "What would happen and how would I respond, if all my competition goals & dreams were somehow taken away from me with a terrible accident?" Could you answer that for yourself?

Be careful and enjoy the beautiful spring outdoors. Enrich your students with more than sport specific skills. As times rolls on and cutbacks are still being made - what are the students in your classes getting out of PE? Hopefully you are taking them out of their comfort zones and educating them to the wide world around them.

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