Deaf basketball player overcomes obstacles Pt. 1
Updated: February 19, 2013
CHAMPAIGN -- Shooting hoops has been a passion for Chris Caulfield since he was little kid, even if it meant fighting through a lifelong disability. But a recent challenge was muffling his skills.
And now thanks to a few helping hands, the Centennial High School junior is playing through the noise.
With all those sounds bunched together, most people's ears would tell them they're hearing a basketball practice in action. And there's not a place 17-year old Chris Caulfield would rather be.
"I'm really thankful that I'm on the team. It's just very fun to watch and play, it's awesome," said Caulfield. "I've been playing basketball probably since I was four years old."
And it was at an even younger age he learned doing just about anything, including his favorite game, wouldn't be easy.
"I was born deaf, 100%, profoundly deaf," he said. "My parents found out that I was deaf when I was 16 months old."
Caulfield was immediately fitted with a cochlear implant and a speech therapist helped him learn his ABC's.
"Some people can't even tell that I'm deaf because I talk so well for my hearing. My parents worked me hard at it, and I'm really thankful that they made me go that far," he said.
In the classroom, Caulfield wears an ear piece that's wirelessly connected to a microphone that his teacher wears. He used one since first grade. But the tool is too fragile and too expensive to take onto a court. And being in Centennial's noisy gym, he needed the help.
"So we just got all the sounds coming together and that just creates a lot of noise and I can't hear hardly anything that he coach is saying," he said. "Thankfully I have an interpreter to help me a lot."
Meet Sarah Loftus, Unit 4's substitute interpreter and basically coach Tim Lavin's shadow.
"We do a dance if you will. He has to say something, I have to get that message across to Chris but I also want to stay out of the way," said Loftus.
"I think it's really helpful for him," added Lavin. "I can't imagine what it must've been like for him early on not hearing anything."
Loftus helps Caulfield quiet the noise and only hear what's necessary, whether it's a play, the next drill, or even getting yelled at.
"Coach was great too. All of his plays have hand signals which was awesome," said Loftus. "So even if he calls one out, I already know what the hand signal is for the play so I can relay that."
"I remember one time I forgot the offense we were running so I was like running down the court and said hey, what's offense," Caulfield recounted. "And she said, 'we're running 51,' and bam I got right into 51, back into it."
Having an interpreter is just more proof that Caulfield doesn't back down from adversity. And if challenges were critics, his drive silences them.
"Kids have been to our games, and they know the situation. If they know him and seen his story then I think he could be a role model for kids with a hearing impairment or other impairment," said Lavin.
To see part two of this two part series, click here!
With all those sounds bunched together, most people's ears would tell them they're hearing a basketball practice in action. And there's not a place 17-year old Chris Caulfield would rather be.
"I'm really thankful that I'm on the team. It's just very fun to watch and play, it's awesome," said Caulfield. "I've been playing basketball probably since I was four years old."
And it was at an even younger age he learned doing just about anything, including his favorite game, wouldn't be easy.
"I was born deaf, 100%, profoundly deaf," he said. "My parents found out that I was deaf when I was 16 months old."
Caulfield was immediately fitted with a cochlear implant and a speech therapist helped him learn his ABC's.
"Some people can't even tell that I'm deaf because I talk so well for my hearing. My parents worked me hard at it, and I'm really thankful that they made me go that far," he said.
In the classroom, Caulfield wears an ear piece that's wirelessly connected to a microphone that his teacher wears. He used one since first grade. But the tool is too fragile and too expensive to take onto a court. And being in Centennial's noisy gym, he needed the help.
"So we just got all the sounds coming together and that just creates a lot of noise and I can't hear hardly anything that he coach is saying," he said. "Thankfully I have an interpreter to help me a lot."
Meet Sarah Loftus, Unit 4's substitute interpreter and basically coach Tim Lavin's shadow.
"We do a dance if you will. He has to say something, I have to get that message across to Chris but I also want to stay out of the way," said Loftus.
"I think it's really helpful for him," added Lavin. "I can't imagine what it must've been like for him early on not hearing anything."
Loftus helps Caulfield quiet the noise and only hear what's necessary, whether it's a play, the next drill, or even getting yelled at.
"Coach was great too. All of his plays have hand signals which was awesome," said Loftus. "So even if he calls one out, I already know what the hand signal is for the play so I can relay that."
"I remember one time I forgot the offense we were running so I was like running down the court and said hey, what's offense," Caulfield recounted. "And she said, 'we're running 51,' and bam I got right into 51, back into it."
Having an interpreter is just more proof that Caulfield doesn't back down from adversity. And if challenges were critics, his drive silences them.
"Kids have been to our games, and they know the situation. If they know him and seen his story then I think he could be a role model for kids with a hearing impairment or other impairment," said Lavin.
To see part two of this two part series, click here!
