Tip for – Acquired (loss of limb)

TIPS DEPENDING ON THE DISABILITY

Acquired (loss of limb):

Example: Imagine if your favourite player that you ever coached lost part of a limb in an accident. Would you tell them to leave and not come back? No.

Somebody missing a limb/s or with artificial limbs may need some extra assistance with some parts of sport but can still participate fully if modifications are made. There have been instances where athletes without a limb or with a prosthetic limb have competed in The Olympic Games and Major League Baseball, with and against athletes that do not have a disability.

How to help: There are many sports where athletes who have lost a limb can fully participate. For sports such as soccer, a loss of an arm is not going to stop a participant from kicking a soccer ball. In basketball, an athlete without legs can still participate in training drills with the use of a wheelchair.

There are some sports that might be harder to accommodate e.g. tennis if an athlete is missing an arm. In this situation training can be modified by changing the body and starting position of the athlete with a disability so that they are closer to the ball and don’t have to reach as far to hit it on their weaker side.