Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Art, and Science (Sport psychology, Adapted physical education & sport studies)
MIEDA Takumi

Experiencing adapted sport

Adapted sport is a sport in which rules and equipment are devised to suit a person’s characteristics. If people would have difficultly playing an existing sport, devising and adjusting the rules and equipment will allow them to enjoy, regardless of whether they have a disability or not.
In our laboratory’s seminars, students experience a variety of adapted sport. Students are exposed to and gain a better understanding of fun through actual experience. This experience also encourages them to think about the relationship between auditory, visual,
and other sensory perceptions and
motor skills from a scientific perspective.

Understanding the relationship between sound perception and motor skills

We have found that blind soccer players use head rotation to more accurately locate the ball when trapping it. Our goal is to conduct further research to determine how head rotation affects the relationship between auditory, visual, and other sensory perceptions and motor skills.

Becoming acquainted with the ability to play sport

By transitioning between adapted sport practice and research, we are determining what would allow a person to play sport and what sort of approaches can be used to enhance motor skills. This can be referred to as a process of exploring the possibility of “being able to play sport,” regardless of whether one has a disability or not. We will continue to explore people’s potential as they enjoy becoming acquainted with the ability to play sport.