Wheelchair Softball

Wheelchair softball is such a fun game that anyone can enjoy. The participants must have a physical disability and use a wheelchair for mobility. Instead of a field to play on, they play in a parking lot or rubberized turf to allow the wheelchairs to roll easily. The rules are similar to regular softball and it such a fun experience for all participants. The National Wheelchair Softball Association is a major organization that was founded in 1976. Today, NWSA governs over 30 teams nationwide. Many teams have found allegiance and sponsorship with a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Wheelchair softball is an exciting and challenging summer sport that enables most wheelchair users to compete.

Handcycle

Handcycling is an excellent form of exercise that allow people with lower limb disabilities a chance to get out and enjoy a bike ride. Handcycles are powered by the hands rather than the legs. Thanks to modern technology, handcycles come in a variety of styles making them accessible to people of all abilities. Fork steer handcycles are the most popular, they work well for both low and high level injuries and most have adjustable footrests, seats, and gearing. Lean steer handcycles are another type of handcycle, it is harder to learn and become very unstable at high speeds. The off road handcycle has two wheels in the front, one in back and it has a high gear range. This gives the cycle the ability to tackle steep slopes and permits the mountain biking experience. Handcycling is a great upper body workout and can provide a great sense of freedom for persons with disabilities.

Adaptive Golf

If I someday become physically disabled, golf is one sport I would still like to continue playing. Wheelchair golf also called adaptive golf is growing in popularity due to disability rights, customized equipment, adaptive golf instruction, and resources that become available to help physically disabled players learn and continue to play the game. Disabled golfers can play golf in specialized carts or wheelchairs. The carts have a swivel chair design and are weight balanced. These carts can travel over greens and difficult bunkers however the carts cost about $7500. More golf courses are considering these adaptive changes to allow for a variety of players.

Wheelchair Tennis

Wheelchair tennis is adapted for those who have disabilities in their lower limbs. The size of courts, balls, and rackets are same, but there are two major differences from regular tennis, the chairs are specific to playing tennis and the ball may bounce up to two times instead of one and the second bounce can be outside the lines. Wheelchair tennis first began in 1976 thanks to the efforts of a man named Brad Parks. The sport became popular and grew worldwide so fast that it was introduced to Paralympic games in 1988. In wheelchair tennis there are four top ranked major tournaments called the Super Series. The games consist of the Australian Open, British Open, Japan Open and US Open. The World Team Cup is an international team event that is held annually. Wheelchair tennis has grown in popularity since the 2000 Paralympics and can be very fun for any ordinary participant.

Adaptive Skiing

Adaptive skiing can either include sit skiing or wheelchair skiing where the participant is guided down the hill from behind. The first sit ski started with the invention of the mono ski. The sit ski was one of the first sitting position skis developed for people with lower extremity limitations. This may include people with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, lower extremity amputations, cerebral palsy, spina bifida or spinal cord injuries. Sit skiers use guiding poles called outriggers. Outriggers are forearm crutches with shortened skis attached at the base of the crutch which provide balance and steering of the ski. Adaptive skiing is such a fun way for participants to enjoy the outdoors and have a great adventure down a powdery mountain.

Quad Rugby

Wheelchair rugby developed in Canada in 1977. Originally called murderball, quad rugby is based on the fact that all  rugby players need to have a disability that includes at least some loss of function in at least three limbs, most athletes are medically classified as quadriplegics. Quad rugby is played indoors on a hardwood court. Wheelchair rugby is mostly played by two teams of up to twelve players. Only four players from each team may be on the court at any time. It is a mixed gender sport, and both male and female athletes play on the same teams. Physical contact between wheelchairs is permitted, and forms a major part of the game. Many players use custom made sports wheelchairs that are specifically designed for wheelchair rugby. Key design features include a front bumper, designed to help strike and hold opposing wheelchairs, and wings, which are positioned in front of the main wheels to make the wheelchair more difficult to stop and hold. All wheelchairs must be equipped with spoke protectors, to prevent damage to the wheels, and an anti-tip device at the back. The wheelchair rugby ball is identical in size and shape to a regulation volleyball only over inflated to increase the bounce of the ball. There are currently more than 24 active countries competing in wheelchair rugby.

Power Soccer

Power soccer combines the skill of the wheelchair user with the speed and power of the chair itself. It is an extremely challenging and competitive sport. The game is played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court. Two teams of four players use power chairs equipped with foot guards to kick and defend a soccer ball in an attempt to score goals. Power Soccer is a team sport played by individuals with various disabilities. The game has male and female participants who are often on the same team as well as opposing sides. Power Soccer is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users. These participants include persons with Quadriplegia, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Head Trauma, Stroke, etc. In the game the ball has to be moved by the wheelchairs, it cannot be moved by the contact of a players body unless it is by accident. Intentionally maneuvering the ball with any part of the players body is a violation. Only 2 players from each team and the goal keeper are allowed in the goal zone at any given time. A goal is made when the ball passes over the goal line in between the goal posts. After a goal has been scored, the game shall restart by a kick off from the team conceding the goal. Power soccer is such an innovative game that allows a variety of people with a variety of disabilities to have fun with each other and enjoy one another's company.

Wheelchair Basketball

Basketball is such a fun game in itself but what do you play when you're in a wheelchair. How about wheelchair basketball? Wheelchair basketball was created by disabled World War II veterans. Since then it has grown in popularity and is one of the best games of the special Olympics. The world governing body of wheelchair basketball is the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation that became independent in 1993. The game is played in specially designed wheelchairs for the physically disabled. These chairs can take a beat'n and keep on lick'n. They are specially designed to run into other chairs and tip on it's side. The participants are strapped into the chair to insure they don't fall out when they tip over. If the participant does tip over someone else has to help them back up. The chairs also have a guard in the front to protect the participants feet from injury.  Wheelchair basketball provides tremendous competition and interest on the international level and is estimated that over 100,000 people participate in this adaptive activity.

Internet in TR

The main portion of this class period was looking at the different ways the internet can help a variety of people and their disabilities. The internet provides information about all aspects of a disability including signs, symptoms and treatments, devices that may help with a specific disability and online support groups to help cope with a disability and realize you are not alone. Even though the internet may be helpful it can also provide false information or fake support groups that can be scandalous and focus on taking your money. Another disadvantage of the internet is that it may contain groups that make fun of or speak their mind about their hatefulness or dislikes toward people with disabilities. Mostly the internet can be very helpful and offer support groups and advice for a variety of people. It can also be a way to speak your own mind and allow the whole world to hear it.
Our group thought that a good use of the internet for recreational specialists would be to video tape innovative activity sessions and post them on a personal website so other rec specialists can visit and share ideas on therapeutic styles and techniques. This allows all therapists from around the world to add their own input on therapy methods. All in all the internet can be very beneficial to not only the clients but therapists as well.

Class Presentations Part 2

On the second and last day of presentations we had three groups present. The first activity was an artsy activity called take a part art. We were given a small piece of paper with colored objects on them, what we had to do was to try and copy what was on the small piece of paper onto a regular piece of computer paper. After drawing the objects each paper was assigned a number and it had to be placed in order on the wall. By the time everyone finished with their art, all the pieces made a mural of hand prints with the word peace on the bottom. This was a fun activity because we were all curious what the big picture looked like and we tried out best to copy the pages exactly. This activity can be done with any population and the pictures are endless to what you can do.
The next activity was about teamwork. The name was toxic waste and what we had to do was move a Styrofoam cup full of jewel pieces and dump them into a Tupperware container. The only problem was the cup was wrapped with string and we had to carry the cups by the ends of the string and dump them into a small container. The jewel pieces symbolized troubles in our life and by dumping them in the container was like throwing them away. This was a fun activity because it was a race between two groups and even though my group started out slow, we came away with a victory. This activity would be good for youth at risk or people with addiction problems. The jewel pieces would symbolize their individual problems and maybe by throwing the jewels away they can throw their problems away too and start out fresh.
The last activity, my group members and I presented to the class what it would be like to use a wheelchair as a mode of transportation. The first activity we played was wheelchair soccer. I was able to rent out 6 wheelchairs and we presented in the multipurpose room of the rec center. For the soccer ball we used a big fitness ball. Everyone seemed to have fun playing this game and in some brought out their competitive side. Then we did a wheelchair relay race. Classmates were divided into 4 teams. The first member would have to wheel to the first station which was putting on a shirt and buttoning 3 buttons with their non dominant hand, then wheeling to open up a bottle of water with one hand, wheeling to tie their shoes with one hand, then wheeling to a ball they had to throw back to their teammates. Then they would wheel back and each teammate would run the cycle. Everyone had fun wheeling around in the chairs and I thought it was the best presentation of the day. Instead of making these activities innovative for someone with a physical disablility, we decided to make them innovative for our class to understand what it would be like using a wheelchair and the implications they may face. Overall this was an exciting class period and cant wait for the following weeks to come.

Class Presentations Part 1

Our first class presentations started out well. We had three groups present food art, telephone charades and building hula hoops. The food art was very interesting. We took everyday average grocery items such as fruits and vegetables and made them into art. We would create faces, animals and different objects to questions that were asked before we started. Our group question was to create something that scared you. Our group came up with running out of money. So I came up with the creative idea to carve a dollar sign $ into a potato. Ours and others turned out beautifully and we each had a fun time creating food art. This activity you can do with any population with any disability. The only safety precautions to look out for was using sharp knifes and other utensils that participants can hurt themselves and others with.
The next activity was telephone charades.  This activity was aimed for people who had a hearing disability. What we would do is split into groups of 5. The first person would pick out a scene to act out while the other 4 members were in the hall. Then only  one member would come in and watch the performance and then they would try to act out what they thought it was. These steps repeated and the last group member would have to guess the scenario. Some groups came close to the actual scenario while others were way off. This was a fun activity to allow ourselves the ability to try and communicate with others just by the motions of our body.
The last activity was perhaps the most fun. We built our own hula hoops and practiced throughout the halls. We started with round plastic tubing and sealed the ends with connectors by expanding the plastic with hair dryers. Then we decorated the hoops with colored duct tape and away we went. The rest of the class period was spent hula hooping in the hallway. This was an innovative activity because the hoops can be used for other things than around your waist so any population with any disability can enjoy them. Overall it was a very fun class period and everyone did an excellent job presenting. Now I just cant wait to go apply this stuff out in the field.

Accessible Motorcycle

Every once in a while I see a trike motorcycle driving down the road with a wheelchair strapped to the side. Being a rider myself I find some satisfaction that people with disabilities get a chance to enjoy the thrill of a bike as well. The other day I was watching the show Orange County Choppers where they build amazing chopper motorcycles from scratch. Every time I watch them I love the amazing results they turn each bike into. On this episode they decided to make a special modification to the bike for the Christopher Reeve foundation. Christopher Reeve is an actor who is famous for his role in Superman who became a quadriplegic from a horse riding accident. This motorcycle was a bike that you could ride while sitting in your wheelchair. Basically it was a trike motorcycle with a platform you can strap the wheelchair to. Being a TR major and a motorcycle rider I was pleased to watch this episode on building an accessible motorcycle.

Animal Assisted Therapy

Animal assisted therapy involves animals to become a fundamental part of a person's treatment. AAT is designed to improve all areas of functioning in a group or individual setting. Any type of animal can be used ranging from a lizard to an elephant. The most common animal used for therapy is the dog. In class we met with two therapy dogs. One named Cooper and the other named Gus. They both seemed like nice loving dogs who can share compassion when dealing with individual clients. The class went well because we had something to play with however the tremendous amounts of dog hair we could have lived without. To be a certified dog the dog must sit politely, accept a friendly stranger, walk on a loose leash, walk through a crowd that includes wheelchairs, sit on command and stay in place, react well with other dogs and react well to environmental distractions. Animal therapy can be beneficial to all aspects of a persons life. They can provide a calming presence, pain relief, increase self esteem, reduce loneliness, improves interaction, provides entertainment and improves physical contact. AAT is a great way to provide therapy to clients, it provides a wide range of animals so any client with any interest in animals can enjoy it.

Goalball !?!

In class a group gave us a presentation on goalball. Now what is goalball, that's what I asked? Goalball is a team sport designed for blind athletes. Participants compete in teams of three and try and roll a ball that has bells in it across a court and into the opponents goal. To pretend like we had a visual disability we used blindfolds for this activity. At first I thought the game would be pretty easy because the ball had bells in it so you knew where it was, that wasn't always true. Sometimes if the ball was going fast enough you couldn't hear it until it was close. Also what I soon found out was protective clothing was a must. My first dive to block the ball resulted in a floor burned knee. Proper protective equipment consists of elbow pads, knee pads, and hockey pads to protect the hips. Goalball was an unusual but enjoyable game to play. Even though the class was short, it's definitely a game I would recommend to the competitive visually disabled.

Accessible Game Show?

So I've been kind of forgetting to post my thoughts to TR on a regular basis so I thought I should pick it up now. The other day before class I decided to watch the classic game show of The Price is Right. About half way through they call a name to come out of the audience and come up to the bidding table to name a price on the next item. They call a woman's name and then I see her wheeling down the isle. She was a middle aged woman using a wheelchair. I thought how cool it was that she was chosen and had a chance to go up on stage and actually play for a larger prize. As I'm watching the other contestants, I'm actually rooting for the woman in the wheelchair to bid the closest price to the actual cost so she can go up on stage. Before I know it she won the bid and had the chance to go up on stage with Drew Carey. Instead of running up on stage like the others, she was wheeled back up the isle and around the back side of the stage. Eventually she ended up winning a prize. Later when it was time to spin the wheel she gave it a try of her own but was unable to make the wheel complete a full circle. With the help of Drew she made her spin but was unlucky and did not get the chance to play in the final showcase showdown. After the many years of watching the show I have never seen anybody in a wheelchair get to go up on stage. What are the odds now of me witnessing that during my quest of a TR major?

Therapeutic Riding

The last class period we met at Horse Sense La Crosse to learn a little more about therapeutic horseback riding. Therapeutic riding uses horse oriented activities to help the riders gain better cognitive skills as well as a better physical, emotional and social well being. Some areas of focus for the riders are to increase posture, balance, strength and coordination. Physical benefits of riding consist of muscle tone and strength, increase range of motion and improve flexibility. Psychological benefits consist of promoting self confidence, self esteem, control over actions and learning new skills. The idea of therapeutic riding seems very fun and beneficial but can be intimidating to some due to the size of the big horses. The Horse Sense program is well designed with a beautiful barn and arena, however when we went we were unable to see the horses which was very disappointing and may have helped to better understand the program and how the clients may interact with the horse. On the internet I came across a wonderful website that also relates to therapeutic riding called Miracles in Motion. This is a great web page and one of the best I found. I suggest checking it out. http://www.mimnh.org/

Body paint art

In class we decided to switch it up by showing our creative side by painting on our hands. Some images included a pumpkin, ghost, skeleton, and animals. My group decided to do an outdoor theme which consisted of a tree, butterfly, sun and me the beautiful tulip. While doing this activity you can possibly express your emotions by painting them on yourself or paint what you feel like. Also we were met by the president of the nasa association which is an organization that helps the elderly and physically challenged by providing outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, biking and golf. I really enjoyed what this program has to offer and plan someday to volunteer. Cant wait to see what we're doing come this Thursday.

Tape art

In class we did this little activity called tape art which consisted of using packaging tape to create everyday items. First we checked out the YouTube clip and website of Mark Jenkins  http://twistedsifter.com/2009/10/art-with-packaging-tape-mark-jenkins/ who specializes in tape art. It is amazing to see all the wonderful things he has made. Then in class we made some art ourselves. Our group pretended like we were facilitating a group in the corrections setting. We made a tape cast of 5 arms making the peace sign and when we taped the fingers together it made a star. We decided to put colored paper in the fingers to make it stand out more. We related this to many different cultures and backgrounds uniting as one so we can all become "stars" We learned however that many limitations can be made with this activity for a corrections population. Tape, scissors and saran wrap can all be dangerous items that need to be monitored heavily. All in all it was a very fun and innovative day.

Everyone likes playing games in class

There's nothing better than just playing games the whole class period. Well that's exactly what we did. The class was previously divided into 7 groups and on Thursday each group facilitated 2 activities. It was a great class because we all learned each others names and had a lot of fun laughing and joking around with one another. I hope that's what being a TR major is all about. Games, laughing and having a good time

Innovative Activities

As of the past week we have been learning about innovative activities and how to facilitate them. Facilitation helps recreation participants evaluate the experience, consider the impact of their actions, anticipate consequences, understand how they have grown and how to overcome barriers. The process consists of a diagnosis of how the activity will help a client, what the design of the activity will look like, how to deliver the activity to its full potential, debrief the client on what they've learned and got from the experience, and detachment as a way to separate from the client and go your own way. In discussions creating the atmosphere is the key, make participants feel comfortable where they are and who they are doing it with. In the debrief state it easiest to use a funneling technique which starts with broad questions and focuses them into more specific questions such as summation and application.  This all leads to the full values contract. Think positive, think mutual respect, think about the context of the class, anything goes for brainstorm and clarifying to whats important.Majority rules. Leaving in the range of learning by the words of Confucius "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand."

What am I doing?

Ok this is my first post on my first blog assignment so I hope im doing it correctly. Previously I wasnt sure what my major should be and recently decided on Therapeutic Recreation (TR) so far my class experiences have been great. Gaining knowledge of many great activities to help the less fortunate seems like a good career option for me. Currently I am enjoying my innovative activities in TR class which this blog is based off of. Up to date I realize in TR you can take any household object and turn it into fun by just using your imagination. I look foward to other activites that ou professor has in store for us and learning new games to make life fun, enjoyable and of course therapeutic. Thats all for now