Pan Am Games Update

By Rachel Burton

The Pan American Games for Deaf Youth will take place July 30-August 6 at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
The Games, geared to deaf and hard of hearing youth throughout North and South America between the ages of 10-15, will include two competitions: track and field and basketball.

Opening and Closing Ceremonies will include entertainment by deaf professionals. There will also be a variety of entertainment events and sightseeing tours of Washington, D.C.

This is the first time that the Games will be held in the United States. The Games are under Deaflympics, Inc., the international governing body of deaf sports. Participating youth must have an average speech threshold hearing loss of at least 55 dB in the better ear. The use of hearing aids or other hearing assistance devices is not permitted during competition.

As of March 2006, four countries have confirmed involvement in the Games: Venezuela, Mexico, Canada, and Cuba. More countries, and approximately 300 athletes, are expected to participate.

Participation in sports helps deaf and hard of hearing people develop character, skill, honesty, and a sense of teamwork, while also helping them to feel comfortable with other people who have the same interests. A sense of community can be gained through competition in international sports for the deaf.

Participants learn they can make a difference in other people’s lives as well as their own. The American Athletic Association of the Deaf (presently the USA Deaf Sports Federation) was started with that ideal in mind—providing a social outlet for deaf and hard of hearing participants and their friends.

The international competition, the Deaflympic Games, is a milestone that comes every four years and keeps participants, fans, and others excited for the next one—because when the Games are on, deaf and hard of hearing people from across the world congregate and learn about other cultures of the deaf. This is always a high point in a deaf or hard of hearing person’s life.

The Games is a great opportunity for young kids to get their foot in the door of international competition. For more information about the Games, including schedules and an on-line application, visit the Pan American Games website.

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VP Opens Market for Deaf Real Estate Agent