Page 58 - Sportability

deal with my physical challenge. While studying child argumentative to others but I think it is more directed
psychology and pedagogy papers, numerous child- toward their innerselves. So apart from recognizing
centered approaches that shall be adopted for the the efforts of disabled persons, I think the parents
benefit of students in the classroom were also taught of children with special needs should get a special
in the course. I often thought about why none of my mention and must be applauded.
sports teachers ever tried to build my self-confidence.
If they had encouraged me, and provided me with Relationship between participation and quality of life
some physical and emotional support, maybe, I would
have tried to free myself from the societal limitations It is a well-established observation that participating in
a bit early in my life. I feel I have taken a much longer daily life routines - self-care, work schedules, household
time to come out of my shell to develop the resilience chores, communicating with people, having food,
that I have now. Also, it can’t be denied that the onus watching movies, shopping, playing, walking, etc. keeps
of making me a confident, self-dependent person one engaged. One will notice that all these activities
entirely remained on my parents, which they fulfilled involve effort and can be challenging for people like
exceptionally. Still, in the larger interest it is crucial me. In my view, this participation has a direct impact
to acknowledge that if there would have been some on one’s quality of life. To uphold this, let’s consider a
guidance and support for them, a little hand-holding by person who remains home-bound with little interaction
the education system or by some other social system in with others. What will be the impact of such a situation
raising a physically challenged child who was spastic, on the person’s emotional and social health, who is
paraplegic since birth, their struggles would have been already struggling with his incapacities, insecurities,
somewhat less. The reason I am making this point is and challenges due to the disability? Contrary to this,
that parents of disabled children also suffer a lot, both the disabled person who is trying to represent himself
physically and emotionally. The physical stress is easy by challenging his own and others’ perceptions of
to understand as along with their other roles in life they himself will be more aware of his psychological needs.
are also required to take the child for various rounds By putting in the effort to overcome challenges, such a
of medical check-ups and consultations, multiple person will achieve a better emotional state.
treatments, and therapies in the hope of betterment
of their disabled child. It is difficult to understand the Relating this to myself I can admit that once my
dimensions of their emotional stress while fulfilling confidence was built and I was sure about my career
their responsibilities and commitments towards the path, my self-image too improved. I had a few goals
child. They have fears of their own for the future course so I took the initiative. I became outspoken and tried
of the child with special needs, the pressure to make her to participate and show my presence during public
self-dependent as far as possible so that she can lead interactions. So, the essence is that the human desire in
her life. To add to this there are undue societal pressures me, the innate necessity led my personality to change
to explain things to the people around them and also as the basic emotional and psychological needs were
to attend to and absorb their opinions and judgments gradually being fulfilled. The determination or the grit
that they pass very quickly. Also, to deal with the child’s in me allowed me to develop perseverance and passion
emotional baggage and insecurities which maybe she is in achieving my personal and professional goals. There
unable to express but being parents it’s easy for them are a series of studies providing empirical evidence
to speculate. In support of this, I recall that it is deeply that an individual difference conceptualized as grit can
seated in my heart that I didn’t have many friends account for significant variance in performance across
during my childhood, that I don’t have good memories a variety of settings. But how it can be strengthened or
of my school years, and that due to my unhappiness, I inculcated?
had been a tough child to my parents, at least for a few
years. Now when I look back, I feel that it shouldn’t have Deok-Jin Jang and others in the paper titled ‘The
to be like this, I should have been more understanding Structural Relationship between Basic Psychological
and matured emotionally. But the fact is that people Needs, Grit, and the Quality of Life of Individuals
who deal with disabilities face deep frustrations as they with Disabilities’, explain, “the predictive role of grit
don’t know whom to blame for their situation, whom to was found to be linked to that of psychological need
ask for help and how much, how to be equal to others, satisfaction in that when there was a higher level of
how to negate the biases towards them and convince satisfaction there was an increased level of personal
people that they are capable in some other ways. Due grit as well. With this being said, there may be levels of
to many such unanswered questions and the apathy variance depending on social and cultural situations as
of society, they sometimes look harsh, stubborn, and well” ³. I completely agree with the last point made in this

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