The 16th Man - Sport as an Area of Knowledge

Ex. Knowledge Issues: To what extent can history help us understand the current global situation? How can sports play a role in ending prejudices such as racism? 


Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination. - Nelson Mandela


CAS Activity: Cape Cod Challenger Club 


I wholeheartedly agree with Nelson Mandela that sport has the power to change the world, having witnessed this firsthand with my experience with Cape Cod Challenger Club. The mission of the Cape Cod Challenger Club is to "enrich the quality of life for young adults with physical and/or developmental disabilities by providing non-competitive opportunities for them to participate in a variety of athletic, recreational, and social activities that most often are not available to them under typical circumstances." (http://www.capecodchallenger.org/about-us/). Last fall, I was a volunteer during the Challenger Club's soccer season, and working with these kids inspired me to be more thankful for blessings in my life such as my health. While I readily admit that I can sometimes be quite impatient, these kids taught me that I need to be more patient since I often had to repeat directions when talking to them. Soccer united me to the children in that while our everyday lifestyles stood in stark contrast, we all enjoyed playing soccer. Additionally, while not all of the children were literally not able to comprehend my words, I attempted to reinforce the important concepts such as teamwork and sportsmanship through the medium of soccer to the children. Lastly, it was evident that soccer created an outlet of hope for these children and their parents. It seems that in most towns the ability for disabled children to regularly play sports is limited, but the children have the unique ability to do so with this program. While unfortunately these children may be discriminated against at school for their disabilities, the power of sports in the lives of these children makes it evident that sports overcome discrimination.