Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union
Summary
TLDRThe transcript details the passion and challenges of deaf rugby players and the founder of Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union. It highlights the importance of inclusion, the need for better communication between deaf and hearing communities in sports, and the founder's personal journey to create opportunities for deaf rugby players. The founder's ambition to grow the sport and improve the skills of deaf players to match those of hearing players is emphasized, showcasing the potential for future expansion and community building.
Takeaways
- π The speaker has a deep passion for rugby, appreciating its fast pace and the various skills it requires.
- π Growing up with rugby, the speaker is a self-proclaimed 'rugby tragic', highlighting their lifelong dedication to the sport.
- π€ The Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union was established to provide opportunities for deaf rugby players, showcasing a commitment to inclusivity.
- π₯ The union was formed in late 2007/2008 by the speaker, who took the initiative to create a team for deaf players.
- π€ The speaker emphasizes the importance of deaf individuals participating in both hearing and deaf clubs to gain experience and challenge societal perceptions.
- π Deaf athletes often face communication barriers and feel disenfranchised, but deaf rugby offers a supportive community.
- πΆ A visit to St Dominic's School, where deaf children were eager to meet the speaker, illustrates the inspiring impact of visibility and representation.
- π§ Deaf people need assistance in organizing and coaching rugby, indicating areas where support from the hearing community is crucial.
- π The speaker, being an ex-deaf rugby player and a coach, bridges the gap between the hearing and deaf worlds, advocating for better communication and understanding.
- π Effective communication strategies such as body language, writing notes, and one-on-one interactions are essential for coaching deaf players.
- π The speaker's ambition is to grow deaf rugby, improve skills, and maintain strong ties with the deaf community, with a vision for a more inclusive future.
Q & A
What does the speaker love about rugby?
-The speaker loves rugby because it is fast, involves a lot of different skills, and promotes organization skills both on and off the field.
Why did the speaker form the Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union?
-The speaker formed the Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union because there were not many opportunities for deaf people in the community to play rugby.
When was the Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Team formed?
-The Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Team was formed in late 2007/2008.
What was the purpose of forming the Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Team?
-The purpose of forming the team was to give deaf rugby players a chance to play the game.
Why is it important for deaf people to get involved in hearing clubs?
-It is important for deaf people to get involved in hearing clubs to gain experience, open their eyes, and challenge the tendency of hearing people to sideline deaf people.
How does the lack of communication affect deaf athletes?
-The lack of communication can make deaf athletes feel disenfranchised and unmotivated, as they may not feel included or understand what is happening on and off the field.
What was the speaker's experience when visiting St Dominic's School?
-The speaker was overwhelmed with pride and a sense of achievement when visiting St Dominic's School, where deaf children were excited to see them and eager to learn about rugby.
What challenges do deaf rugby players face in hearing clubs?
-Deaf rugby players in hearing clubs may face challenges such as not being given the proper opportunity to express themselves, feeling left out of the loop, and being placed in positions where their communication difficulties are highlighted.
How can hearing clubs better support deaf players?
-Hearing clubs can better support deaf players by educating coaches on how to communicate with deaf players, using written notes, and being more graphic with body language to ensure understanding.
What is the speaker's ambition regarding deaf rugby?
-The speaker's ambition is to grow deaf rugby, make it bigger than it is today, and maintain contact with the deaf community to have life experiences in different areas.
How does the speaker suggest involving deaf players in rugby?
-The speaker suggests involving deaf players by using basic communication skills, body language, interpreters, and one-on-one communication, as well as spending time with them before, during, and after training.
Outlines
π Founding Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union
The speaker expresses a deep love for rugby, highlighting its fast pace and the various skills it requires. They recount their history with the sport, mentioning their involvement with deaf rugby players and the establishment of the Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union. The union was created to provide opportunities for deaf rugby players, who often lack community representation. The speaker takes pride in forming the team and reaching out to players, aiming to foster a sense of community and improve their rugby skills. They also discuss the importance of deaf individuals participating in both hearing and deaf clubs to gain experience and challenge societal misconceptions about their capabilities.
π€ Bridging the Gap Between Hearing and Deaf Rugby
The speaker, an ex-deaf rugby player and coach, discusses the challenges faced by deaf rugby players in terms of administration and coaching. They emphasize the need for support from hearing clubs to improve the self-esteem and skills of deaf players. The speaker shares their personal experience of playing in a hearing club and the importance of effective communication. They suggest various methods to enhance understanding between deaf players and coaches, such as using body language, interpreters, and one-on-one communication. The speaker also talks about their ambition to grow deaf rugby and their involvement with a hearing club's Under 16 team, where they are learning coaching skills to apply in the deaf rugby community.
π Ambitions for Deaf Rugby and Personal Development
In this paragraph, the speaker outlines their personal ambitions related to deaf rugby. They express a desire to grow the sport and maintain strong connections with the deaf community. The speaker is currently working towards a level one coaching qualification and is eager to apply their learnings to improve deaf rugby. They also emphasize the importance of life experiences and the ambition to be successful in their endeavors.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Rugby
π‘Deaf Rugby Players
π‘Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union
π‘Inclusivity
π‘Communication
π‘Deaf Community
π‘Self-Esteem
π‘Coaching
π‘Hearing Clubs
π‘Opportunities
π‘Ambition
Highlights
The speaker expresses love for the game, highlighting its fast pace and the variety of skills it involves.
Rugby is described as promoting organisation skills both on and off the field.
The speaker's passion for rugby is evident, referring to themselves as a 'rugby tragic'.
The formation of Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union is discussed, driven by a lack of opportunities for deaf players.
The speaker takes pride in creating a team for deaf rugby players, aiming to provide them with a game.
The importance of involvement in clubs for both hearing and deaf individuals is emphasized.
Challenges faced by deaf people in hearing clubs are discussed, including communication barriers.
Deaf rugby is portrayed as a community that caters to everyone and provides a chance for participation.
A visit to St Dominic's School is recounted, where deaf children showed great enthusiasm for the sport.
The speaker's role as a coach in both hearing and deaf clubs is highlighted, emphasizing the need for understanding and communication.
The speaker discusses the challenges of coaching and the need for patience and open-mindedness.
Strategies for effective communication with deaf players are suggested, such as using body language and interpreters.
The ambition to grow deaf rugby and improve the skill level of players is shared.
The speaker's involvement with a hearing club as an assistant coach is mentioned, showing a commitment to learning and development.
The importance of spending time with deaf players to understand their individual traits and improve communication is emphasized.
Transcripts
I Love the game, it's fast a lot of different skills
The body is involved and (it promotes) organisation skills on and off the field.
I love it.
I grew up playing basketball
rugby is the best game
I'm a tragic to quote a past prime minister I'm a rugby tragic and with these guys
it re-energises me. I really enjoy it.
I'm an ex-rugby player and I have played rugby all my life.
I've been playing with deaf rugby players for a long time.
I wanted to play together with the other deaf rugby players and that's why we formed
Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union.
I started up Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union because there are not many opportunities for
deaf people in the community for deaf rugby. I started it up myself. I'm very proud and
excited. I contacted all the players and they came
together to form the team
Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Team was formed in
late 2007/2008 for the purpose of giving a game to deaf rugby players
I started five years ago. I got involved in rugby union with the local club,
Southern Cross University five years ago and I enjoy the game.
Originally I was involved with the Australian deaf rugby union and the
decision was made within the deaf community to
start up a lower level of rugby; a more community based rugby rather than
representative rugby. As I was involved earlier on with the Australian deaf rugby
union it was a natural thing to support it at this level as well.
It's important to get involved in a club for experience (whether it is) with a hearing
club or the deaf club. It's very important to open your eyes. A lot
of hearing people tend to put deaf people to the side and don't give them the opportunity.
It is very important for them (deaf people) to get
involved in the hearing club and in the deaf community.
It's good to develop their skills and bring them up to the same as the hearing level.
It give them a chance to participate. A lot of times athletes in their own community
either because of communication or distance or a combination of all these things, don't
feel motivated. In fact they feel almost disenfranchised because there are communication
problems. Deaf rugby gives them a chance to come
together as a community and it caters for everybody.
I can give you a prime example yesterday when I visited St Dominic's School. I had been
in contact via email with a lady named Francis, who runs
the deaf unit and she said you're not going to
believe it but the kids are screaming for you.
They are waiting for you inside and outside. I said
OK so when I went outside it just blew me away.
All these kids were looking at us. They had hearing
aids, cocklears, they ranged from five to 15 years
and they were rapt to see us. That gives me pride
and a sense of achievement seeing them wanting to
know more about us and learn about us. Eventually one day when I see one of them grow up (playing
rugby) it would be great. The players were overwhelmed.
The just couldn't believe it. We were talking about, looking at the different
kids, which ones would grow up to become really
good players. We were talking about their future.
Deaf poeple are not great at organising rugby on
and off the field. Administration wise and coaching wise they
need help. I'm a ex-deaf rugby player and I'm a deaf
coach but that doesn't mean that I'm completely deaf.
I live in-between two worlds. I live between the hearing
world and the deaf world and I want to help them out
where I can.
I have a lot of different challenges with a lot of clubs
in Lismore where I live at the university. I play with the local club and have very challenging
games with other local clubs in the competition.
Personally it's refreshing my signing communication skills because they are very rusty. It's the
same as any team. Dealing with different characters,
likes and dislikes, personal traits, distance, communication, it's the same as any club.
The only difference with this club is that some of
the guys have a little bit of trouble hearing me.
With the hearing clubs they (deaf players) are not
given the proper opportunity to explain and express
themselves. They feel that they are not in the loop
about what is happening on and off the field.
Hearing clubs tend to put them out on the wing
because they can't speak and they can't communicate. I would say that about 75% of these players
are good players and the other 25% we can help but
they need help from the hearing club also to improve
their self-esteem.
Always start by giving the coach an understanding of
how to communicate with the deaf players. Let the coach know that you didn't understand
or that the players don't understand hearing
coaches. A lot of players tend to go "yep, yep, yep"
without understanding anything at all.
Maybe write down on a piece of paper a note and stop
during the session to generate understanding.
In the larger cities there are particularly strond deaf
communities. For example in a lot of the towns there
are deaf clubs. The can contact them put posters on the
board, put electronic posters on their websites, contact
local schools who have class for deaf or hearing impaired
students. There are a lot of ways of getting within
the avenue of communication with these groups.
Basic communication skills. Body language mime, using
interpreters, pulling poeple aside as you do in a normal
club. communicating one on one. Being perhaps a bit more
graphic with my arms and body language than normal.
Spend some time with them before during and after training.
If the deaf player is prepared to give commitment spend
some time with them. Work out how to communicate with them.
Really tolerance and open mindedness. Then as you get to
know individual players you can modify your techniques.
For example, I had a player who was totally deaf in one ear
so it was useless me talking to that ear so I just took
two steps to another direction and he was included.
Again it's just knowing your players and their individual
traits.
I'm very happy for them to get involved. To learn different
development skills. I can't see why we can't learn
from the hearing people. We can improve our own skill level
and try to build up to their level. I believe that the future
it really good. You never know we might have more than one or
two teams in the future.
I'm involved as an assistant coach to Burraneer Bay Rugby
Union Under 16's. That's a hearing club not a deaf team.
I'm learning experience from a coach there. I've achieved
Foundation and am now working on my exam fro level one.
My ambition is to grow and make deaf rugby bigger than
it is today. I want to keep in contact with the deaf community.
Get involved and have life experiences in different areas.
That's my ambition - to be successful and have good
experiences.
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