Engagement of Sports Activities of Learners with Disabilities

Priyono, Sahudi and Hendrayana (2021) stated that fundamental movement

skills constitute an important set of skills that are believed to form the essential

prerequisite foundations of more complex movements that are often required in

different forms of physical activity. Games are physical activities carried out by

individuals or groups with the aim of getting the pleasure generated in these

activities. Playing is any activity for pleasure, and thus, games can also develop

the skills and abilities of students with special needs or children with disabilities.

Athletic Performance. Studies show that children with disabilities perform

better in inclusive classrooms, learning alongside their peers without disabilities,

developing friendships, and cultivating executive functioning skills. When it comes

to sports, students with disabilities who participate in mainstream activities fare

equally well. Inclusive sports and fitness activities provide an opportunity for young

people who have disability to learn skills together and discover more about each

other’s similarities rather than differences. Cavedon, Zancanaro and Milanese

(2018) suggested that learners with disabilities may be involved in sports with

structural characteristics, such as role expectations or interaction requirements

that are matched or mismatched with their type or level of athletic ability or

performance skills. Additionally, more winning-focused competitive performance

demands exacerbate performance of learners with disabilities for which there are

no special accommodations in equipment, rules, or the nature of competition, as

 2

well as unacknowledged or less obvious limitations in certain sports roles (Monson,

Brasil & Hlusko, 2018).

On the other hand, sport classification that involves athletes competing in

events designed largely for able-bodied competitors with a single type of

impairment or with several disabilities, according to their functional and/or athletic

performance ability. Players are categorized based on how much their impairment

affects their performance given the vast range of activity-limiting disabilities

considered (Stratton & Oliver, 2019). This raises the question of whether or not

team performance is affected by disparities in terms of physical attributes and/or

skill competency among players who have disabilities between male and female

players. Athletes with disabilities represent a unique population in which physical

and performance characteristics are connected to residual functional capacity in a

complex individual way, making evaluation of sex-related differences challenging.

For example, while differences in physique and performance between male and

female able-bodied basketball players may be considered as obvious, it should be

remembered that these athletes represent a special population (Rodrigues, Silva,

Juzwiak & Joaquim, 2018). In swimming, Cavedon et al. (2018) highlighted that it

is beneficial that the profile of the athletes should be reported because the

performance varied according to the gender of athletes and the severity of their

impairment. The analysis of the anthropometric and body composition profiles of

athletes with physical disabilities could help in the selection of key anthropometric

measures to be used by coaches in the design and implementation of training

programs in order to improve the probability of success.

 3

Teamwork. Sport is also well-suited to reducing dependence and developing

greater independence by helping persons with disabilities to become physically

and mentally stronger. These skills can be transferred into other new arenas

including employment and advocacy work further helping to build self-sufficiency

(United Nations, n.d.). De Hollander and Proper (2018) pointed out that

participation in sports can support the development of teamwork skills and

connections with community members for learners with disabilities. Through sport

people usually learn the tenets of fair play, teamwork and solidarity and can

become more aware of the problems that exist for people with disabilities.

However, the interaction of sport participants with disabilities is more pronounced

and problematic in sports that emphasize more teamwork and are also more

competitive, especially when their disabilities are disregarded or unaccommodated

(Celenk, 2021).

Aarnio et al. (2002) as cited in Kerins (2020) maintained that social issues

can be addressed if learners with disabilities would attain their potential in and

through physical activity like sports. It outlines how participation can be increased

and, critically, how to ensure that learners with disabilities experience quality

physical sport activity. The study of Diaz and Diaz (2021) suggested the need for

all stakeholders to work across structures and organizations in order to formulate

and implement strategies that will ensure quality experiences in sports activity for

learners with disabilities. Similarly, social competence skills are another area that

develops through sports. It becomes stronger in tackling the problems encountered

 4

with sports. Life skills such as cooperation and teamwork develop through sports

(Bertills, Granlund & Augustine, 2021).

Active Participation. Children who have acquired a disability, participation in

sport or physical exercise can help them come to terms with their disability, regain

self-esteem and social integration. Appropriate participation will enable sports

participants with disabilities to demonstrate and gain recognition for their

proficiency in sports roles (Holecko, 2017). According to Celenk (2021), positive

experiences and the acquisition of physical literacy at the early learning stages

among learners with disabilities facilitate positive self-concept with regards

physical activity and makes lifelong interest and participation in physical activity

and sport more likely. De Hollander and Proper (2018) found that patterns of

participation in outdoor recreation were similar across most activities for learners

with and without disabilities. Activities with the highest rates of participation among

learners without disabilities also tended to show the highest rates of participation

among people with disabilities. This may illustrate that, as barriers are eliminated,

participation in physical activities by learners with disabilities increases.

Moreover, participation in sport has a number of social benefits. People

establish friendships and social networks from which collective identities can be

forged. This can overcome prejudice and discrimination of ethnicity, social

background or disability and can play a role in achieving an inclusive society (Top

& Akil, 2018). Saban (2022) expressed that changes in participation, good

experiences, and achievement have been brought about by the development of

more organized approaches to sport and physical activity equity. In some

 5

situations, these improvements have been tremendous. A remarkable example is

the rise in involvement and success in competitive sports for students with

disabilities following the adoption of a community and sports program. The

environmental, social, psychological, and personal elements, such as barriers, that

promote or discourage involvement by learners with disabilities in sport and

physical activity must be recognized in order to recommend strategies or

approaches that would raise participation rates (Stratton & Oliver, 2019).

Learners with a self-care related disability and those with a mobility disability

were more likely to cite their disability, or gaps in sports provision as reasons for

not participating in sport. Young people with a hearing disability were more likely

to cite reasons that were less connected to their disability (Rodrigues et al., 2018).

However, Teramura, Hamada and Yamamoto (2021) stressed-out that the most

common barriers to participation in physical activity were having no one to go with,

unsuitability of local sports facilities, a lack of money, and health considerations.

Depending on the type of disability, there are noticeable differences in habitual

physical activity levels that also vary with age and are related to the type of

disability, the participation barriers that exist for various disabilities, and other

factors that may exacerbate discrimination and prejudice. Many learners with

disabilities around the world may face insurmountable participation hurdles as a

result of unwelcoming and unsupportive attitudes and a lack of inclusive teaching

approaches (Longmuir & Bar-Or, 2011 as cited in Bertills, Granlund & Augustine,

2021).
 6

Focus on Goal Settings. It is accepted that psychology plays a significant

role in the narrow margins between success and failure at sport activities among

learners with disabilities. Research has shown that focus and goal setting are two

of the most useful strategies for giving athletes with disabilities a psychological

edge. The mental side of sport is increasingly recognized as being equally

significant to the physical side (Esatbeyoglu & Campbell, 2018). Sampan and

Gomez (2017) claimed that focus and goal setting is the most used skill in

competition, followed by activation, imagery, relaxation, self-talk, automaticity and

emotional control. It is highlighted that certain group of athletes, such as those with

disabilities, should be accessible to psychological skills in particular and mental

skills training methodologies. Programs for helping athletes with impairments

develop their psychological skills typically resemble those for athletes with able

bodies. If athletes with disabilities are aware of the format, applications, and

potential advantages of mental skills training, which will enhance both their athletic

performance and enjoyment, they will be better able to concentrate and establish

goals. Furthermore, when given access to mental skills training programs, these

athletes with disabilities are frequently fairly open and receptive (Petrola, 2017).

The study of Cagas, Mallari and Torre (2022) showed that multifaceted goal

setters, or athletes who established precise, short-term, psychological, and

competitive goals, had more confidence and had more success in their sport

careers than athletes who were dissatisfied with the goal-setting process or who

did not believe in its efficacy. Similarly, Battini, Chieffo and Bulgheroni (2018)

reported that athletes who had strong mental skills such as the ability to
 7

concentrate and cope with adversity were more likely to report being dedicated

and enthused about their disability sport involvement compared with athletes with

weaker mental skills.

Following Instructions. Lim (2020) maintained that children with disabilities

must be carried out with simple instructions and accompanied by direct and

concrete demonstrations to make it easier for them to accept because they are

slower in cognitive development, and their mental operations might be confined to

concrete objects and events. Verbal instructions with examples of the correct

movements will be easier to imitate by children with disabilities, therefore the

teacher places more emphasis on practicing the movements that the child must

do. According to the U.S. Department of Education (2021), children with disabilities

are struggling in following instruction because of communication barriers as they

have difficulties in hearing, speaking, reading, writing, or understanding, and who

use nontraditional ways to communicate.

Due to lack of focus, trouble understanding instructions, as well as other

neurological limitations, students with disabilities frequently struggle to participate

in their daily activities or routines (Lim, 2020). Senatore and D’Elia (2018)

emphasized that coaches are advised to use key words or vocal inflections to help

them understand in place of most spoken instructions when working with athletes

who have trouble understanding verbal instructions. Coaches should, wherever

feasible, post a practice schedule in advance so that learners-athletes with

disabilities can anticipate what will happen during practice and get instructions and

assignments that are clearly described. For instance, athletes with disabilities such
 8

as ADHD, emotional behavioral disorders, mild intellectual disabilities, or speech

or language disabilities might experience difficulty following instruction such as

staying quiet or taking turns; these behaviors may challenge the coaches’ ability to

effectively manage their practice (Vargas et al., 2012 as cited in Campbell &

Stonebridge, 2021). In the case of learners-athletes with ADHD, they may find it

challenging to stay focused or follow instructions compared to their peers.

However, Alexander and Bloom (2020) argued that maintaining eye contact and

asking them to repeat instructions is of great help in boosting their likelihood of

being attentive.