Are You a "Go-Getter" Athlete or Do You Make Excuses?

Are you a no nonsense, no excuse "go-getter" athlete who take "no" for an answer?

One thing though, be careful on who to blame when it comes to these deaf/hh athletes. Blaming parents, hearing coaches, deaf schools, the government and whatnot for not achieving to the athletic standards of hearing athletes. Pure bunkum.

I have participated in sports all of my life among my hearing teammates. As a kid I had two soccer championships SEAA ELKs, two little league baseball championships, wrestling trophies in which in one final wrestling event I took 2nd place in my weight category, took tumbling, basketball and swimming. All these took place OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. Go figure. And all of my coaches were hearing, too. Ooooh, double go figure. But even while in Middle school I continued to play soccer and basketball. And in high school took track for short while before I began my odysey in weightlifting and finally powerlifting competing in powerlifting events where I often did well sometimes taking 1st or 2nd place in the bench press, squat and deadlift (which wasn't my favorite). All events were "hearing events" but they never discriminated anyone who had a hearing loss and allowed them to participate. Not one iota time. Go figure. This is what coaches want, go-getters. I have never remembered a time when I was put on the side line. Not once. I was part of the team and participated in every game. I even made the baseball team at Gallaudet University during a try out and I was to be placed either as 2nd base or short-stop because of my excellent ball fielding and batting. But I just wanted to see if I could make the team since I was more interested in using my time to study than to play sports that could take up my time and away from my continuing powerlifting exercises at Gallaudet. And now I'm into Aikido, a Japanese martial art and I'm in my 8th year. I'm a no nonsense, no excuse, go-getter.

Using an excuse, any excuses, on why these deaf/hh athletes couldn't be better than their hearing counterparts is nothing but laughable if they can do the same thing they can. If you have an athletic talent, you WILL be discovered whether a hearing or deaf coach spots your talent in the first place.

Terence Parkin had a hearing swimming coach who spotted his talent at age 13. And yet it was him who set out to teach everyone on his swim team the alphabet in sign language, starting with his hearing coach, so that they could communicate with him. Now everyone in swimming circles had a level of understanding with him. Parkin is a go-getter. Coaches like go-getters, whether they're deaf or not. Shows that you have the cojones, the will, the desire and the talent to be even a better athlete. Even if you don't become a professional athlete. Now, Terence Parkin has a swimming academy where he can be a deaf role model as a deaf coach for deaf/hh youngsters to look up to who go to his swimming academy. Truly a gold standard there.

It doesn't have to be the Olympics but the aspiration on getting into professional sports such as baseball. Curtis Pride became the fifth deaf player to reach the major leagues. At the age of six, Curtis Pride played one T-ball game and then said, "I'm going to be a baseball player." Twelve years later, he signed a contract to play for the major league New York Mets. In the intervening years, he was: (1) an outstanding high school athlete excelling in baseball, soccer, basketball, wrestling, swimming, track, and gymnastics; (2) named as one of the top 15 youth soccer players in the world (the only American) and a member of the U.S. National All-Star Soccer Team which traveled to China to compete for the 1985 Junior World Cup; (3) a "Parade Magazine" high school basketball All-American and a four-year starter as point guard on the College of William and Mary basketball team. On every one of those squads, Curtis was the only hearing-impaired athlete. Curtis Pride is a no nonsense, no excuse, go-getter.

Or maybe the first deaf professional cyclist, Reece-Emerson van Beek, of Australia? Notice his objectives: To win more major races; To compete overseas before the Deaflympic Games;
To win the Deaflympic Games in 35km Road Time Trial; 100km Road Race, 50km point Road Race; To become the first deaf professional athlete to join the European Professional cycling team in Division 1, 2 or 3. Reece-Emerson is a go-getter.

Or maybe a deaf semi-professional football player? Phillip Morris is both a defensive end and offensive guard on the Austin Gamebreakers, a semi-professional football team in Austin, Texas, part of the North American Football League. He’s a valued player, helping his team win the division championships this past year. Morris is also the only deaf player on the team. The story of how he got there is a story of struggle, harassment, acceptance and passion. "Life does not come in a silver spoon, we have to fight our way to the top," said Morris recently, but Morris not only fought but also played his way to success. He perceived the advantages in his deafness and made it work for him. Phillip Morris is a go-getter.

There is no end to this. None of these now professional athletes used excuses as their crutch for not making it. Excuses are for losers. You do your best and that what really counts whether you make the semi-professional sports, professional sports, the Olympics or just become a gosh darn excellent deaf/hh coach to help aspire young deaf/hh athletes.

This is what you must do by doing the best you can and not make excuses when it comes to sports. Again, excuses are for losers. You try and overcome any obstacles in your way in order to continue and improve your athletic skill. Parental support is important, too. But the inspiration and desire must come from within you to succeed. Please, no more excuses of why deaf and hard of hearing supposedly cannot be among the best of the best athletes in the world.

Are you a go-getter or do you want to make excuses?

Just as I thought.