Deaf basketball
Encyclopedia
Deaf basketball is basketball
played by deaf
people. Sign language
is used to communicate whistle blows and communication between players.
who played basketball with the National Basketball Association
's (NBA) Cleveland Cavaliers
. Allred is hearing impaired, with a 75-80% hearing loss wearing a hearing aid. He later on continued to play basketball professionally in the European basketball leagues.
Another high profile deaf basketball player is the Slovenia
n professional basketball player Miha Zupan
, born with impairment similar to that of Allred, yet plays power forward
at highest professional level in Europe.
(FIBA) and in cooperation with Deaflympics
and its confederations. In February 2003, it was recognized at the Congress of Comité International des Sports de Surds (i.e. the International Committee of the Deaf Sports during the Winter Deaflympics in Sundsvall
, Sweden
as an independent association composed of the National Organisations governing deaf basketball. DIBF encourages the growth and development of deaf basketball in all nationals of the world through an organized program of education and instruction. The Federation schedules and conducts all international contests and championships in deaf basketball in cooperation with the Derplympics (The Deaf Olympics) and its confederations. DIBF also maintains a documented history of the basketball by recording and reporting on all major international contests from the inception of international competitions to the present.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
played by deaf
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
people. Sign language
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
is used to communicate whistle blows and communication between players.
National associations
The game played by deaf people is organized with national and international associations including Deaf Basketball Australia http://www.deafbasketball.org.au/fs_home.asp, Deaf Basketball UK http://www.deafbasketball.org.uk/ and United States of America Deaf Basketball (USADB) http://www.usadb.us/Players
Deaf basketball has gained great visibility because of athletes like Lance AllredLance Allred
Lance Collin Allred is an American professional basketball player. Allred is hearing impaired, with a 75-80% hearing loss. He is the first legally deaf player in NBA history...
who played basketball with the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's (NBA) Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
. Allred is hearing impaired, with a 75-80% hearing loss wearing a hearing aid. He later on continued to play basketball professionally in the European basketball leagues.
Another high profile deaf basketball player is the Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n professional basketball player Miha Zupan
Miha Zupan
Miha Zupan Miha Zupan Miha Zupan (born September 13, 1982 in Kranj, Slovenia, is a Slovenian professional basketball player. Despite being deaf since birth, he plays among hearing players at the highest level in Europe...
, born with impairment similar to that of Allred, yet plays power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
at highest professional level in Europe.
Deaf International Basketball Federation
Deaf International Basketball Federation (DIBF) is a world governing body for international deaf basketball with support of International Basketball FederationInternational Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
(FIBA) and in cooperation with Deaflympics
Deaflympics
The Deaflympics are an International Olympic Committee -sanctioned event at which deaf athletes compete at an elite level...
and its confederations. In February 2003, it was recognized at the Congress of Comité International des Sports de Surds (i.e. the International Committee of the Deaf Sports during the Winter Deaflympics in Sundsvall
Sundsvall
-External links:* - Official site from Nordisk Familjebok - Sundsvalls tourist information bureau. - The alternative guide to Sundsvall. - Blog with photos from Sundsvall....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
as an independent association composed of the National Organisations governing deaf basketball. DIBF encourages the growth and development of deaf basketball in all nationals of the world through an organized program of education and instruction. The Federation schedules and conducts all international contests and championships in deaf basketball in cooperation with the Derplympics (The Deaf Olympics) and its confederations. DIBF also maintains a documented history of the basketball by recording and reporting on all major international contests from the inception of international competitions to the present.