Sport Adaptation, Participation, and Enjoyment of Students with and without Physical Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose was to investigate the effect of sport adaptations on participation and enjoyment of students with and without physical disabilities. Participants (ages 7-12) included 15 with a physical disability and 20 without a disability. Newcomb, a volleyball lead up game, was compared to an adapted newcomb game. Each game was played on three occasions. The participation variables were successful passes, unsuccessful passes, active time on task, inactive time on task, and off task time. Enjoyment was assessed by a questionnaire as well as by interviews. Sport adaptations generally increased participation of all students. Overall, most children enjoyed both games, although older students without a disability did express some dislike for the adapted game.