In a few days nine of Pittsburgh's top audio darts players will travel to Wilmington, Delaware for this year's regional darts tournament. Held over Columbus Day weekend, the tournament switches locations every year between Pittsburgh and Wilmington. Last year the Pittsburgh tournament was the largest ever with 33 competitors. This year more than 25 darters will meet in Wilmington to compete in six events. The competition is always serious as both money and trophies are awarded to the top finishers.

"We're going there to bring home some money," says Gene Barton and Bob Lichtenfels. "If we don't win we'll be disappointed."

During last year's tournament, Barton and Lichtenfels finished 1st and 2nd respectfully in the 301-countdown event. As individuals and now as a team, Barton and Lichtenfels have to be the favorites to win big.

Also among Pittsburgh's top prospects are Lynnette Lewis and Joe Wassermann. They hold the highest averages for individuals in the Pittsburgh group. Throughout the weekend they will be tough to beat.

Good luck to all of Pittsburgh's Delaware-bound darters. There's little doubt you will make us all proud.

g Adaptive Sports Day

For the first time ever, the Three Rivers Rowing Association (TRRA) and the Bayada Nurses held Discover Adaptive Sports Day. Four organizations that provide adaptive sports opportunities for the disabled demonstrated their activities to the community. The event, held on Washington's Landing offered wheelchair tennis and basketball, audio darts, beep baseball, kayaking, and rowing. Participants also viewed the adaptive equipment used for wheelchair skiing. SportsVision was pleased to be a part of this new annual event.

SportsVision Athlete Excels in Colorado

As we reported in the last newsletter, Annmarie Hamlin, the top female athlete from Camp SportsVision 2002 was invited to attend USABA's National Sports Festival in July. Annmarie (14) and her father traveled to Colorado Springs to compete on the national stage. She represented PA well as she won 1st place in the 100m dash, finished 2nd in the Goalball tournament with her team, and took 2nd place in the Discus.

"I had a super time and learned some awesome techniques to help improve my running and other skills," reports Annmarie.

Annmarie competed against dozens of blind and visually impaired athletes from around the country. She made new friendships that will continue through the Internet. Annmarie was the only youth athlete from PA to attend this year's festival.

In early July the American Council of the Blind held its national convention in Pittsburgh. SportsVision was fortunate to be involved in the ACB's recreation zone, an end of day hour-long leisure opportunity for attendees. Convention goers enjoyed yoga and audio darts instruction hosted by SportsVision.

Nearly a dozen attended the Monday afternoon yoga introduction led by Liz DePiero, an experienced yoga teacher of the blind. While some made use of towels and mats, others used the carpeted floor to cushion their movements. They learned various stretches, relaxation methods, and breathing techniques. Liz encouraged participants to feel their stretching muscles with their free hand in order to grasp the concept of the "working muscles". After class Liz distributed handouts to explain the benefits of yoga and how an instructor can assist a visually impaired student.

During the darts instruction, Joe Wassermann, one of the nation's top audio darts players demonstrated the techniques of holding, aiming, and releasing the dart. Several participants felt the face of the dartboard to solidify their concept of its layout. Attendees played several games before the end of the hour.

SportsVision is grateful to the ACB for these instructional opportunities. We also thank volunteers Lou Wassermann, the darts spotter, Joe Wassermann, and Liz DePiero. You did a wonderful job!

Peter Crowley should be the poster boy for kayaks. He's paddled the craft around Lake George and 120 miles down the Hudson River, from Albany to the Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.

Last month, Crowley, of upstate Delmar, paddled the kayak solo across the English Channel. The feat is all the more remarkable because Crowley, 46, is legally blind.

It was the first time a blind person had kayaked alone across the Channel, according to the Channel Crossing Association, a British group that monitors Channel crossing attempts.

Crowley was accompanied by an escort boat and a friend, Marc McAndrew, who was in a separate boat and yelled directions to keep him on course.

A project manager with the New York State Dormitory Authority, Crowley is an unapologetic adventure junkie. In 1994, he was among a group of blind climbers to scale Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest peak.

"I have the soul of an adventurer," Crowley said. "When you're blind, people try to protect you from things. I like to push the envelope."

He started kayaking about five years ago as a way to keep in shape. With McAndrew rowing alongside to help with directions, and wearing a sonic visor that allowed him to estimate his distance from approaching objects, Crowley conquered Lake George before taking his extended trip down the Hudson.

He and McAndrew got the idea to cross the Channel when they were looking for new challenges.

After almost a year of training on local rivers and lakes - and on a stationary machine McAndrew designed - the two were off to England.

The attempt was almost over before it started. While waiting in the kayak to begin the 22-mile crossing between Dover, England, and Calais, France, Crowley, an asthmatic, inhaled a lungful of diesel fumes from the escort boat required for each crossing attempt, had trouble breathing and became nauseous.

The condition was aggravated by the 4-foot seas, which meant he could not drink any water or eat for almost four of the seven-and-a-half hours it took to complete the trip.

"I was getting weak and my legs were cramping up pretty badly," Crowley said. "Luckily, it passed."

He calculated that he paddled a bit more than 30 miles during the trip. "The currents and winds are so strong in the Channel that you can't go straight," he said. "You have to paddle in a kind of an arc, which makes the trip longer."

Double Your Giving This Holiday Season

SportsVision is enrolled with SchoolCash.com as an easy way for you to give to the organization. When you register with this on-line fundraising mall your purchases earn rebates for SportsVision. Simply register with your name and email and when the site prompts you, type SPORTSVISION, INC. in the box to select your designated organization. You can then begin shopping from more than 250 on-line merchants. It's not too early to begin your Holiday gift shopping. During October SportsVision will earn special bonus rebates on all of your purchases. Simply log onto www.schoolcash.com to begin your holiday giving season.

** S & L SPOTLIGHT ORGANIZATION **

Ski for Light
Information Edited from www.sfl.org

Each year Ski for Light Inc., an all-volunteer, non-profit organization founded in 1975, conducts a week-long event at a U.S. location. The primary goal of the program is to teach adults with visual- or mobility-impairments the sport of cross-country skiing. The week usually attracts 100 or more people who are blind/visually-impaired, 8 to 10 people who are mobility-impaired, 110 or more sighted instructor guides, and a delegation of 10 to 30 from Norway and other foreign countries.

Over the years, hundreds of participants have discovered that cross-country skiing is an invigorating outdoor activity that they can both enjoy and do well. It is an activity that gives the visually-impaired or mobility-impaired person a unique feeling of freedom, independence and accomplishment. Emphasis is placed on recreational trail skiing, with the skier and guide deciding together how far, how long, and on what kind of terrain they will ski. A prospective participant does not have to be an athlete to participate, but merely someone who is interested in enjoying a more physically active lifestyle and who feels that his/her overall health and level of fitness will allow safe participation in the program. The only expectation of participants is that during the week they give cross-country skiing a real try.

At Ski for Light, a visually-impaired or mobility-impaired skier is matched with an experienced sighted cross-country skier for the week. They ski together each day from Monday through Saturday. Beginning skiers are taught the basics of the sport; those who have skied before work on improving their skills and endurance, or just enjoy themselves on the snow. Mobility-impaired participants have the opportunity to learn the sport of sled- hockey in addition to the sport of cross-country skiing. On Saturday, a 5-kilometer rally and 10-kilometer race is conducted in which each skier has an opportunity to test and demonstrate his or her newly-acquired skills over a measured distance. This event, complete with an Olympic-type finish line and national anthems, is the highlight of the week for most participants.

While skiing is the focal point of the week, it is only part of the Ski for Light experience and, in fact, the Ski for Light event is held regardless of the snow conditions. When skiers return to the hotel in late afternoon, they often mingle with others while relaxing in the heated pool or hot-tub, just hang out, or attend an information-sharing session about hobbies and activities of special interest. Evening activities, in addition to the nightly group dinner, usually include such things as a wine and cheese reception, a talent show, an arts and crafts fair, awards presentations, and lots of informal dancing, singing and conversation. Participants have many opportunities to meet and get to know the other attendees, some of whom are from Norway, Japan, Great Britain, Australia and other countries.

The 2004 Ski for Light International Week will take place Sunday, February 8 through Sunday, February 15, 2004, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Participants will stay at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Green Bay and ski at the nearby Brown County Reforestation Camp. The total cost of the week is $700, which includes a double-occupancy room, all meals, six days of skiing, round-trip transportation between the airport and hotel, and daily transportation between the hotel and ski area. A limited number of single-occupancy rooms are also available, first-come, first-served, for an additional $350 for the week. All meals are group meals. Cross-country skis, boots, and poles will be provided free of charge to first-time participants. The cost of transportation from home to and from Green Bay is the responsibility of the participant. Some partial stipends may be available for first-time participants.

The application deadline is November 1, 2003. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance to SFL 2004 beginning in mid-November. Acceptance priority is given to first-time applicants. As more guides apply, additional participants will be accepted. All applicants will be notified of their final acceptance or waiting list status no later than January 1st, the due-date for full payment.

On-line applications are available for electronic completion and submission at the SFL web site. Alternatively, you can download the application form in Microsoft Word format for printing and mailing. For additional information or an ink-print application, contact Visually-Impaired Participants Coordinator, Lynda Boose by emailing lynda@sfl.org or by calling 906 250-7836.

** CAMP SPORTSVISION 2003 **

SportsVision thanks the dozens of volunteers who pitched in to make Camp SportsVision 2003 a success. From those who spent months planning to those who stayed overnight throughout camp to those who drove in every day to assist, every one played a vital role. Whether their work focus was administrative or athletic, every volunteer gave 100%. Without volunteers our camp program would fall apart. SportsVision is grateful for the dedication and tireless service of every one. WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH!!

SportsVision would also like to express its gratitude to this year's many donors. Our camp received both financial and in-kind support from individuals, community organizations, small businesses, and large corporations. We depend on this generous support for the camp and every SportsVision program. THANK YOU FOR JOINING OUR SPONSORSHIP TEAM!!

** ALL-STAR ACCOLADES **

Seventeen visually impaired youth attended this year's Camp SportsVision held at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh from August 6 through 9. Campers hailed from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. During the overnight camp, they learned wrestling, swimming, goalball, track and field, tandem biking, soccer, and beep baseball.

The 2003 camp included eight participants from last year's Camp SportsVision and nine newcomers. In many cases, the repeat campers were grouped separate from the new ones to work on more advanced skills in the sports they learned last year. The new group tended to focus on basic introductory skills in all sports. There were times though, in the sports such as soccer and track and field, where sight classifications matter that campers were taught in groups based on their visual status. For example, in goalball all participants are blindfolded to gain equal status, but in soccer competition, totally blind players and partially sighted ones play separately. Generally, totally blind athletes need more hands-on instruction while partially sighted ones can often see enough to grasp the skill concepts. The camp management allowed for flexible groups throughout the weekend to ensure all campers received appropriate and effective instructional attention.

One indicator of the success of camp was the improvement of the camper's measurable skills. Upon arriving at camp Wednesday evening, all campers participated in evaluations to measure their overhand softball throw, underhand softball throw, standing broad jump, 100-meter dash, and goalball throw speed. Campers also answered an oral evaluation to record their sports knowledge. On Friday evening the campers' skills and knowledge were re-evaluated to demonstrate the effectiveness of camp. In all 17 cases, the camper's general sports knowledge tested higher at the end of camp. On average, the sprint times tested 5.64 seconds faster than those recorded prior to camp. In the underhand softball throw, one camper improved her distance by 23.5 feet. Two campers improved their overhand softball throw by more than 9 feet. In fact, all of the campers improved in many of the evaluation areas.

Another indicator of the camp's success, which cannot be measured, is the camper's change in level of self-confidence and physical awareness. As a way to demonstrate these accomplishments, campers participated in a Saturday demonstration of their abilities. Parents, siblings, and family friends visited on the final day of camp to observe the campers participate in beep baseball, goalball, and track and field. Afterwards the Camp SportsVision management team awarded campers ribbons for their Saturday performance and certificates of achievement for their overall athletic efforts throughout camp. The participants impressed many volunteers and observers with their newly tapped abilities.

"The attitudes of the campers were incredible," commented a volunteer on her evaluation form. "They were willing to try new things and conquer some understandable fears. I never saw a single one give up."

While the improvements of the campers' athletic abilities is chiefly a result of their own determination, some credit must be given to the experienced, flexible volunteer instructors who provided constant support. Specifically, there were five college students who volunteered all of their waking and sleeping hours throughout the camp. We thank Steve Midlich, Kristen Jones, Anita Lorito, Amanda Van Sicklin, and Meaghan Landstrom, The All-Star overnight volunteers that guaranteed the success of Camp SportsVision 2003.

On Deck

SportsVision's volunteer staff and Board are working hard to put together an activity-packed 2004 calendar. Plans for clinics, mini dart tournaments, youth activity days, and Camp SportsVision 2004 are in the works. If there is a sport or activity that you would like SportsVision to offer in the upcoming year, now is the time to let us know. We welcome your ideas and encourage you to join the SportsVision coordination team.

Sports & Leisure on the Internet

Fortunately for those who use computers, the electronic age has dramatically enhanced our ability to communicate and information gather. Not only can Internet surfers visit specific web sites to learn about what's going on in their communities, but they can communicate with individuals around the world in mere seconds. The creation of list serv's, electronic discussion via email enables like-minded individuals to exchange ideas, opinions, information, and experiences with thousands, potentially millions of others. Using list serv's can be a vital tool for a visually impaired person who is seeking new sports and leisure activities to try.

Preliminary searches of the top list serv providers, YahooGroups and Topica surfaced dozens of these electronic discussion lists dedicated to sports and leisure opportunities for the blind. While many have specific activity focuses, some are very general. To find a list serv that might interest you, simply visit www.yahoogroups.com or www.topica.com and enter key words into the search field. Typing "blind" into the YahooGroups search yielded more than 1,100 electronic discussion lists. Of course, the more specific the key words used, the smaller pool for your perusal. Each result includes a description of the list's discussion topic and instructions for subscribing. If you find that a list is not as active or "on topic" as you had hoped, you can easily unsubscribe by following the directions at the end of the messages you received. The lists offered through YahooGroups and Topica are free.

In many cases, these discussion lists can often be a great way to learn about a sport or activity that you have thought about trying but wanted to investigate first. What better way to gather information about a sport than from a visually impaired person who has already tried it? The lists may also be useful for vision professionals and physical education teachers seeking advice on how to adapt specific activities for blind participants. Below is a partial list of the results our search yielded. SportsVision has not reviewed these lists and provides them only for informational value.