Gallaudet Football

Gallaudet University is doing great in its football program this year. They have finally figured out how to work together and become a team. No team can function with cliques especially as strong as the previous ones Gallaudet had in its football locker room. They learned how to respect each other’s differences and make it work to their advantage. Being a deaf and hard of hearing football team has its pros and cons, but as they have shown this year it can be very effective.

Gallaudet used to be ranked two hundred thirty four out of two hundred thirty eight when they first started. They struggle to find deaf and hard of hearing football players. It really limits who can play and the ability of the players when they come in to the team. That will probably always be something they will struggle with, but their skill level can improve if more coaches learn sign language for their player. This year they turned everything around and ended up winning the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference. They have shown a lot of improvement over the past few years. A lot of their success is due to their new found bonding of their team.

Before this year Gallaudet’s football team was very separated by people who are hard of hearing and people who are deaf. They stayed in their little social groups and were not acting like a team should. This year they really stepped it up and changed all of that. They are acting more like a team and have mixed up the groups a little more, so it is not divided by who can hear and who cannot. That has shown to be very effective for them.

On the field they use sign language to communicate what play will be going on. This does not need to be done in a huddle so it is not visible by the other team because they are not deaf or hard of hearing so they do not know sign language. I think it is both very effective, and hilarious. One of the players in the video I watched actually suggests that football players learn sign language because they will eventually run out of made up gestures to use on the field.

Being deaf or hard of hearing can be moderately difficult because you cannot really hear a whistle blow to know a play is beginning or over, and most coaches do not know sign language so it would be difficult to find a coach and a team. They are not very many players which is sad because a lot of little boys want to grow up to be a football player, if there were more players who were deaf and it was more talked about maybe little boys that were deaf would realize that they could have that dream and accomplish it too. Being deaf also has its advantages as well. If you are deaf you can sign your plays, your vision improves, and you are more aware of your surroundings. There is also less of a distraction of fans yelling, which is a great bonus. There are a lot of pros and cons but one thing is for sure, players at Gallaudet prove that it can be done, and done well.