October 27, 2009: Visit: Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Centers for the Disabled
Training Report - Leadership Development Course
In the morning, the lecturer, Deputy-Director, Sports Support Division explained about the outline and main activities of the center.
Lecture Material : Persons with disabilities and Sports Speculations from the Management of Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Centers for the Disabled
Thereafter, participants observed facilities of the center such as Training Room, Swimming pool, Playground, Tennis Courts, Sports Ground.
They also observed various sports for persons with disabilities and its devices.
Participants met some sports such as Boccia, Target Bird Golf, Javelic Throw for the first time.
Those facilities and devices were specially designed to adjust to the characteristics of various types of disabilities, making easy-to-use for them.
In addition, there was at least one staff presented at each facility, so that people could enjoy sports even if people visit the center alone or they did not have any experiences of those sports before.
In the afternoon, participants had experienced more than three or four sports based on each interest.
They enjoyed wheelchair tennis, sound table tennis, table tennis, target bird golf, gym, and race wheelchair.
That was so much fun!
After having experiences of sports, lecturer told the story of a member.
There was a person came to the center with the purpose of rehabilitation at the beginning. Through rehabilitation at the center, he recovered his confidence and he was encouraged to return to his place of work. After he returned to work, he kept a dedication to the promotion of sports for persons with disabilities.
Sport has a power, not only for enjoyment or rehabilitation but also for empowerment and social participation of persons with disabilities.
Lecturer demonstrated to make some devices by utilizing simple materials that were also available in participants' home.
He showed how to make Flying Disc by using old newspapers.
He also made a basketball that makes sound, by wrapping it around with a plastic bag. He said that it was also difficult for the center to purchase expensive equipments and devices. For this reason, we can substitute available resources with originality and ingenuity.
He hoped that participants could get at least one idea that they could bring back to their own countries from today's experience.
Participants could gain confidence to apply some ideas after returning home.
