Teaching is a team sport, says the trending slogan. But how it is exactly manifested in everyday life?
Case in point: goalball at my primary school. The English and PE departments collaborated together to invite personnel from Goalball Singapore to conduct an experiential session for the fourth graders. They are studying “Paralympic Games”, so what better way to immerse them in the world of the visually impaired than let them play goalball?
These fourth graders were fortunate in the sense that they had a Paralympian explain the rules to them. After the familiarization round, they got to wear blackout masks to experience playing in darkness.
To be honest, I have never heard of goalball until today. Looking at my fourth graders, I’m sure they appreciated this novel way of experiencing inclusivity. It surely made an indelible impression on me.
Never heard of goalball. How do you play it?
It sounds a bit ~lol, like how I jokingly refer to all sports as
sportsballFrom the International Paralympic Committee website
Players must wear opaque eyeshades at all times ensuring fair competition. All international athletes must be legally blind, meaning they have less than 10 per cent vision, and are classified as a B3, a B2, or a B1 – totally blind.
Teams are made up of six players, with three members playing at any one time.
The object of the game is to throw a ball past the opponents and into their net to score points. Players stay on their hands and knees to defend their net and score against their opponents.
A goalball court measures 18 metres long and nine metres wide. It has goals at each end covering the entire nine-metre back-line. String is taped to the markings on the court to allow players to feel the lines and orientate themselves.
Ya, I thought the name sounded frivolous when I heard it for the first time
Cool. I haven't heard of goalball but I will look it up.