Sophie just shared with me an ingenious way her friends and her worked out for an inclusive badminton game during PE lesson. In the past, she would be advised by the teachers to ‘sit out’ during games which she could get hurt, badminton being one of them.
When Sophie first learned that they would be playing badminton during the school PE class, she begged me to get her a badminton racket and a shuttle cock to practise with at home, so that she can join in the fun at school. To her great disappointment, she was asked not to take part, as she could be “accidentally hit by a swinging racket”. She came back home, shoved the racket and shuttle cock into the darkest corner of our storeroom, and never mentioned it again.
She was full of excitement when she told me about how her friends tried to include her in their game of badminton. They will let her serve the game ball, and then she will move back to allow the game to continue. Once a while, her friends will ask her to try and hit the shuttle cock. When she said she can’t because she can’t see it, they just told her to swing her racket all over “like crazy”. And she did, and actually hit a few shots! She was so thrilled!
It doesn’t take very much to include children like Sophie during PE class. What her teachers failed, her friends succeeded, and so well. They actually tried to make sure she had her share of the ‘fun’, and included her in their game. They were tolerant and accepted that she would miss the shuttle cock, but that was not the main thing. The main thing was just to have fun with your friends; winning was secondary.
It was heartening, listening to Sophie, and I could feel the excitement and exhilaration at being part of the game. It has also taught me something important:
If we were not so intent in winning, and more focused on having fun, we would be a lot more acceptable of others who may not be as good as us, regardless of whether or not a disability is involved.
Sophie’s friends also showed us that children, with the right exposure, are a lot more inclusive than adults. Teachers have a lot to learn from their students, and how they include their classmates. I am thankful that Sophie has made some wonderful friends who has accepted her as one of them, and includes her in their fun activities.
