[ Guest Post ] Why Being Ill Or Disabled Doesn’t Necessarily Mean You Have To Give Up Sports

I wanted to share a guest post that was offered to me by Ryan on why being ill or disabled doesn’t necessarily mean sports need to be out of the question. Enjoy 🙂

For a lot of us, the sport we play is our life. As soon as that first whistle is blown, the only focus is on experiencing that feeling of victory when you hear the last one – and during that period you have an outlet away from the rest of the world. There are many reasons why you believe you have to stop playing sports, and if this is down to a serious injury or you developing an illness you may think you have to call it a day. But this is not the case. There are a variety of reasons why you don’t have to stop playing sports.   

Try a New Sport

For many sportspeople, it isn’t the specific sport they play that gives them the thrill – but it it’s more down to their competitive nature and the enjoyment of partaking in an event which they enjoy the most. If you happen to be in this position, instead of playing the sport you once used to play, you could try a different one where you won’t be affected by your illness or disability. For instance, if you were previously a tennis player but have suffered an injury to your arms then you could try cycling or running as you will still be able to utilise your high level of stamina and won’t be affected by your arm injury.

Paralympic Sports

In 2017, Paralympic sports have grown to become just as popular the more common Olympic sports. This has meant that there are now lots of Paralympic variations of hundreds of sports which can still be played even if a person suffers from an illness or disability which prevents them from playing the Olympic version. Whether your illness is mental or physical, there are even certain sports which have multiple variations or training techniques which help to overcome the issue – such as the special psychological training used with soccer players.

Become a Coach or Referee

Being told outright that you can no longer play the sport you once used to doesn’t mean that you have to completely end your association with it. If you are someone who has played the sport for a long time it means you would have gained a lot of experience throughout your career which can still be re-laid back into the game. This can be done by coaching the next generation of athletes into the sport or you officiate the games in the sport based on your knowledge of the sport.

To Sum Up

To conclude, suffering from an illness or disability certainly does not mean that you have to stop playing sports. Of course, it is going to be a monumental change on your life but it doesn’t mean that you have to stop doing what you love.

[ Author Bio ]

Ryan Duffy is a freelance writer who is a recent university graduate in Media Studies. His passion for people and writing has encouraged him to pursue this career full-time. Writing on behalf of a company which specialises in assisted living machines (linked removed as no longer active), he enjoys writing about issues related to travel and lifestyle.