Coping strategies of successful visually impaired student-athletes

The main objective of this case study was to identify the problems and challenges encountered by the visually impaired student-athletes, recognize their coping strategies that lead them to overcome these different problems and challenges, and capture and describe the meaning and essence of their experiences for the benefit of the other visually impaired student-athletes. This study was qualitative in nature and used Yin’s (2013) case study approach. The study chose eight qualified visually impaired student-athletes as respondents of the study. The data gathering procedure was conducted through individual in-depth interview using an interview guide. The recorded in-depth interviews were transcribed verbatim then the description of the experiences of the successful visually impaired student-athletes were treated and analyzed based on Yin’s (2013) model of qualitative data analysis including compiling database, disassembling the data, reassembling the data, interpreting the data, and conclusion. This study showed that during the course of taking up the role of student and athlete at the same time unveiled that various challenges and problems such as time management, academic concerns, personal problems, and health issues. These challenges and problems mostly characterized their experiences that the sports coaches, teachers, and school administrators should look and take action by using it as basis for enhanced student-athlete support program and sports plan of the school for student-athlete with visual impairment. If this will not be addressed properly, the same experiences might happen to the next student-athletes and worse, these challenges and problems may cause failure of the student-athletes with visual impairment and the school sports program. Different coping strategies were revealed during the conduct of the study including self-motivation; support from teachers, family, and friends; and self-awareness. This signifies that although there are some challenges and problems that the visually impaired student-athletes faced throughout the sports process, they still used various coping strategies to survive and took their roles as student-athletes of their schools. For the recommendations that emerged from the results of the study, the coaches, teachers, school administrators, and parents should be knowledgeable about the various problems and challenges encountered by the visually impaired students as well as their coping strategies which can be used for continuous support and modification of curriculum for inclusive education program and sports program for student-athletes with visual impairment