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| San Antonio Express-News |
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| Neighbors - North Central Page 5H |
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Team members adjust to deaf player
Deaf child in West Side league loves the thrill of basketball
with hearing friends. |
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| Stacie Orsagh-Aguillon EXPRESS-NEWS STAFF
WRITER |
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| Publication Date : March 27, 2002 |
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No one knows what Marco Lopez is thinking
when he is running across the basketball court.
The 4-year-old is deaf and has limited speaking ability.
But on game days, he knows what to do. He races down the
court to guard his teammates. He fearlessly shoves his opponents
and sometimes yells 'No!' when the other team scores.
Marco plays for the Raptors, a team in the Spurs Drug Free
Youth League at the West Side YWCA. He is the only deaf
player in the West Side league.
His parents, Viviana Saldivar and Jaime Lopez, decided to
put him on a team of hearing players because the school
Marco attends, Sunshine Cottage School for
Deaf Children, encourages it.
The school provides an oral language environment and does
not teach American sign language. Their mission is to teach
deaf children to listen, talk and become part of the hearing
world.
"We want him to start talking so he won't be afraid of his
own voice," Saldivar said, explaining that Marco already
uses one-and two-word statements.
Saldivar approached Michael Zavala, the YWCA's youth development
manager and sports coordinator, in January and explained
her situation.
"I was almost afraid to answer," Zavala admitted. "But we
never say no to anyone. We provide services equally to everyone."
But before Zavala agreed, he asked Lopez to commit to becoming
an assistant coach for the team because he didn't have staff
who knew how to communicate with Marco.
Lopez agreed and became a certified coach for the league.
Leroy Urrabazo Jr., head coach of the team, didn't hesitate
when Zavala approached him about Marco.
"It is not difficult to communicate at all," Urrabazo said.
"The kids like him and work with him. When it comes down
to it, they all play the same."
The youngsters on the team seem to have adjusted to Marco's
presence and have come up with their own sign language:
hands waving for a pass, mimicking a dribble or signaling
a water break.
They pay no attention to the 7-inch scar behind Marco's
right ear or the wire that hangs from his head.
The wire is part of the cochlear implant that he has had
for about a year. The electronic hearing device that was
surgically implanted in his inner ear allows him to recognize
some sounds. It possibly could help him hear and speak better
in the future.
Strapped to his chest is a processor, which has a microphone
that collects sound and directly stimulates the auditory
nerve of the brain.
When the implant is connected, Marco can hear up to 6 feet
away, Saldivar said.
"He can hear every little sound that we take for granted,"
his mother said. "But without it, he can't even hear a jet
passing overhead."
Roger San Miguel Jr. is one of the star players on the team.
He often passes the ball to Marco and watches out for him,
Saldivar said.
"Sometimes I tell him when it is time to get water," 6-year-old
Roger said.
But he admits that it is sometimes hard to communicate with
Marco.
Blane Trautwein, principal of Sunshine Cottage,
applauds the decision to put Marco on a mainstream team.
"The world is about inclusion, and the more you segregate,
the more you sacrifice people and their potential," Trautwein
said. "Plus, kids find ways to talk to each other."
Suzanne Barbour, Marco's teacher, highly recommends that
all parents get their deaf children involved in hearing
programs.
"Mainstreaming is our goal," she said, explaining that it
will encourage the use of language and help the child grow
socially and emotionally.
Shannon Simon, a teacher and coach at the Texas School for
the Deaf in Austin, has been deaf since he was 6 and was
fully immersed into mainstream education and sports.
He said as long as Marco is on a team and fully involved
in all its activities, the type of sport doesn't matter.
"If it were my decision, I would seek out an environment
for the child where communication is possible," Simon said.
He said the teams vary and there are several things to be
considered: Does the sport require constant vocal directions?
Does the coach have an interest in the deaf child, and the
patience and willingness to learn how to communicate? Is
the child able to communicate back to the team?
"I had no problem with my school work but was missing out
on socialization," he said, explaining that he transferred
to a school for the deaf his sophomore year in high school.
"It was there I became a person who was given the tools
to enjoy life to its fullest."
The path a child takes is always decided by the parents,
Simon said.
"I honestly believe that nearly all parents make the best
decisions regarding how they bring up their children," he
said. "But he (Marco) will soon need to find his own identification."
sorsagh@express-news.net |
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