FINDING ABILITY IN
Can anything stop you making a go of table tennis? Not for one coach in Sheffield, who’ s introduced the game to blind people, paralysed people and everyone in between.
M inutes before I meet Shaun Alvey at the English Institute of Sport, close to the Albert Table Tennis Centre where he’ s based, he’ s involved in a confrontation which reveals much of what has made him an outstandingly successful coach of disabled players.
‘ I was standing near some students who had seen Martin Perry walk past,’ Alvey recalls, referring to the British Para international and triple amputee.
‘ They were talking about his arms, about how he had no hands. I interrupted them and said:“ Yeah, but do you realise he’ s one of the best para table tennis players in the world?” They were blown away.
‘ They’ d only seen his disability, not his potential. That’ s a problem beyond table tennis, but it’ s a part of what holds some coaches back.’
No coach would admit to narrowing a player’ s field of vision because of a disability, but what Alvey argues is that it’ s not a deliberate attempt to restrict an athlete, it’ s a mindset born from the desire to do what they think is best for that individual.
‘ Personally, I find it best to get rid of the first three letters and focus on the final seven: ability. Everyone has that, but often people will look at the“ dis” part first.
‘ I make sure that when someone comes through the door in a wheelchair, for example, I don’ t judge them on that. I remove any perception of disability at all. I just class them as someone who wants to come and play the sport.
‘ I think it’ s a case of coaches embracing the enjoyment of just getting someone through the door and involved, having a go. So when someone comes, or rings or emails, and asks about the different sessions we have, I don’ t address any question of their physical or mental capabilities, I just say“ come and have a go”.’
When it feels appropriate, Alvey will chat about the disability, but does it openly and with no sense of it being a battle to overcome.‘ I speak to the person I coach first, then make an assessment in my own mind, or approach a parent or carer, and discuss any disabilities.’
David Wetherill, now an established British Para Table Tennis international, backed up Alvey when he recalled his experience starting out in the sport.
‘ Inclusion was really important for me at the start. Treating me just as you treat everyone else. I wanted almost the opposite of discrimination: to be talked to and mixed with like the rest of the players at the club. At the same time, coaches need to understand that we might struggle with certain aspects of the game but that can be overcome without making it into a big deal.’