Hearing Impairment

Whenever damage occurs to the ear it can result in permanent or temporary hearing loss. In general terms the following descriptions help to understand each condition.

• Deafness – is a hearing loss. Deaf players are unable to understand speech through hearing alone, even if a hearing aid is used. Without the ability to hear they usually require another means of communication such as lip-reading or signing.
• Hearing loss – is any problem a person has understanding normal speech.
• Hard of hearing – is a reference to the difficulty (but not the impossibility) of understanding speech.
• Residual hearing – is the speech that can heard with the use of a hearing aid.

Coaching players with Hearing Impairments

Whenever dealing with any of the conditions mentioned there are guidelines to follow which will make your coaching safer for all concerned

• Always alert staff at a venue you are using that there will be people present with hearing impairments.
• If there is background noise that can be regulated then try to lower this down as far as possible.
• Ensure that everyone is aware of any evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.

Passing on Information

Coaches need to pass on information to their players, and for the majority of coaches the spoken word is the only way to do this. However research has shown that non verbal communication, gestures, expressions etc can be more effective, in fact a very high percentage of information is passed on non-verbally (possibly as high as 90%).  Non verbal communication is the key to passing on information the hearing impaired. When passing on information to hearing impaired players it is vitally important that the appropriate amount is given in the right way. If the coach is speaking to a player who is lip reading, too much information can be boring and frustrating as indeed it can be to those without hearing difficulties. There are a number of points which make the coaching process more accessible:

• If a player is lip reading make sure your face is well lit up, do not assume they will pick up every word you say, there are regional differences in pronunciation as well as grammar. Ensure you don’t cover your lips with you hand at any time as this may confuse the instruction completely.
• Don’t chew gum or shout to make yourself heard as this confuses lip readers.
• Agree on a strategy for gaining the players attention, this may be waving a bib or a particular hand gesture.

Receiving Information Back

Thankfully the growing trend in football is to question your players to check their understanding of your input. However the questioning skills of the coach are going to be challenged when seeking information from their hearing impaired players. Coaches who are unable to sign or do not have a capable signer in the group to decipher will need to be very patient with players who may have speech difficulties, and who themselves may be frustrated with the inability of the coach to understand them. Often it is too easy to make assumptions about what they want or what they can and cannot do. Asking regular questions so you really get to know each player and build a good relationship with them will lead to the coach becoming skilled at a variety of different methods of communication - different ways of giving out information by telling, showing and guiding; different ways of gaining information by listening, watching and asking.

Coaching Deaf Players

Deafness is a hearing loss with which you may find there are additional challenges to how you coach, particularly in the way you communicate.

• Regularly check with the player and their parents / carers that they understand how to communicate with you if they are distressed, injured or too fatigued etc. Also if they do not understand instructions fully.
• Always ensure your face is l well lit, if a deaf player is concentrating on your lips and you either turn to speak towards another player or you move into a shadow they will lose the thread of your instructions.
• If a deaf player is unable to lip read you may need to use a person who can to pass on your information.
• When instructing a lip reader keep the information simple and avoid the use of jargon or new terminology unless you are prepared to spend some time defining the new vocabulary. Establish a strategy for stopping your session that everyone understands i.e. as you might call stop you also wave a bib or cone