Playing on a School Team Being Blind or Partially Sighted

Playing on a school team is often a pinnacle of a person’s school life. Long practices, team bonding, and exhausting yet rewarding competitions are all things members of a team experience. But what is it like to be on a school sports team when you are the only one that is visually impaired? This is an experience that my co-writer Kolby and I have had. I will be sharing my experience of playing on my high school’s basketball team while Kolby explains her experience on her school’s volleyball team.

Ishita
I started playing basketball when I was around 6 years old. My parents wanted me to try my hand at playing a new sport, so they decided to put me into an after-school camp that taught basic basketball skills such as ball handling, shooting, and practice drills. To be honest, it wasn’t my favourite thing in the world and I wanted to quit since I wasn’t really all that good at playing the sport. However, with my mom’s encouragement, I decided to stick through it and complete the camp.

I continued to take a few more of these camps in the next couple of years, and slowly but surely, I started to get better at playing and actually enjoyed my time on the court. At the time I was about 9, my vision had just started to show the early signs of degeneration and my rapid loss of vision was a point of concern for my coaches. They had never had experience with coaching a visually impaired player before and they were unsure as to how I would continue to play with the other students without hurting myself. They told me and my family that in order to keep me safe, they would have to give me one-on-one coaching and would need to pull me out of the regular camps that everyone else was a part of. I disagreed with my coaches' opinion and refused to take the one-on-one classes. Since basketball is inherently a team sport, being isolated from the other players would take away from the entire experience. Whilst experiencing my vision loss, I had to learn how to adapt several aspects of my life, and basketball was no different.

I began teaching myself new ways in which I could effectively play the game without relying on my vision as much. I spent hours practicing my new tactics until they would become second nature to me. This allowed me to once again play alongside my fellow peers all throughout the remainder of elementary school.High school rolled around and my interest in basketball was as high as ever. Up until that point, I had only played in after school camps and small teams with my friends. However, I wanted to try something new and try out for my high school’s basketball team. Many people discouraged me from the idea and told me that it would just be too difficult for me. I shook off their concerns and tried my best to get ready for the team try outs.

The day came and I, alongside many other 9th grade girls, tried out for the team. It may have been a long shot, but I wanted to say that I had given it my best shot, and if I didn’t get selected then I would just have to try again next year. A few days later, I was told that I had made the 9th grade division team and was chosen to play the team’s centre position.I knew from day one that there would be challenges for both myself and teammates. It was the first time that they had to play with a visually impaired player, and it was my first time playing on an official team. It took some time, but after a few weeks I was able to effectively communicate with my teammates and I was able to contribute to my team and play alongside my fellow peers. Playing on my school's basketball team was a reassurance that while the manner in which I do things may be different, I still have the ability to perform and compete alongside like-minded individuals.

Kolby
Playing a school sport on a team is a big part of any school participation experience! I wanted to be able to join and participate in a sport just like all my friends did. In grades 4, 5, and 6 I joined my school’s volleyball team. At this time I was legally blind but could see pretty well. My central vision was better than my peripheral vision. I was able to see the ball coming but I wasn't always quick enough to respond if the ball was heading for my head or the sides of my visual field.

I was fortunate to have a great coach who added a couple of adaptions to the game so that I had a more equal chance of being able to play and earn points for my team. When it was my turn on the court I was responsible for serving the ball and passing to team members on my team. I was never responsible for getting the ball to somebody on the opposite court.I took part in practices and participated in drills. Our team went to tournaments and I got to play. We travelled together so we bonded well as a team. Participating in this sport allowed me to meet new people, and I really enjoyed the experience of playing volleyball.

Once in high school it became more competitive, so I did not play.

By Ishita and Kolby