The Rolling Grizzlies

Today I had the privilege of watching the Memphis Rolling Grizzlies practice. For those of you who do not know who they are, the Rolling Grizzlies are Memphis’ wheelchair basketball team. I have been looking forward to watching them play ever since we talked about it in class months ago. They did not disappoint, it was awesome.

Before practice we got to talk to the coach who went over the rules with us, about who they compete against, and what the requirements are for playing. The Rolling Grizzlies are currently in Division I, which means the highest skill level possible. The only qualification for applying is being disqualified of playing in other basketball leagues. Due to the variety of disabilities, a system had to be put in place to keep both teams at an equal level. Each player is given a ‘rank’ of what their abilities are, like center of balance or above the knee amputation for example, so when playing there can only be up to a certain number on court. The coach also explained about the special basketball wheelchairs, common injuries, scholarships and many, many other things.

Overall, it was super interesting to experience that setting of Occupational Therapy. I felt inspired by these people who do not let disabilities stop them from living their life to the fullest. After practice was over, we got to sit in their wheelchairs and try it out for ourselves. Let me tell you, they made it look too easy. It is crazy hard throwing a ball from a sitting position. One of the biggest things that caught my attention tonight was the opportunity to take initiative. The coach said not many people try out, and I think it is because of advertising. It is such a great concept, that if people knew they would come out to join whether it be from the stands or on the court. So obviously the next step would be to promote. Brainstorm ideas of places where people could potentially be interested (in all area including players, sponsors, healthcare facilities, universities etc.) and post it.  

I will definitely be at their games this fall and if you are interested – check them out http://www.rollingrizzlies.org/news/ You will not regret it!

Staying Alive

Alive Inside

          Alzheimer’s dementia. The disease that affects 5.7 million people in the US. And that is not including the 15.9 million people who take the role of caregivers. Alzheimer’s dementia is essentially a progressive degeneration of memory loss and cognitive functioning. Since the likelihood of begin diagnosed with Alzheimer’s gets greater with age and the average lifespan is still increasing, you would think people would be trying to figure out a way to prevent it or to slow it down. One person has: Michael Bennett.

          I watched a documentary called “Alive Inside”. This film beautifully presents how our society currently deals with the disease. People usually tend to forget their sense of self with the progression of Alzheimer’s. As a result, they are not able to communicate very well and become frustrated. At that point, anger is the only way an individual can express themselves. When we stifle that down with psychoactive drugs the people become withdrawn and stop engaging with the outside world. Mr. Bennett promotes music as the optimal approach to reach people dealing with Alzheimer’s.

Music can reach memories that have been locked inside a person because the same memory is stored in different part of the brain. For example, think of your favorite meal ever. That moment is recorded in your mind by how glorious the food smelled, the music you heard in the background, how delicious the food tasted, and the emotions associated with that moment. As a lover of music, I can affirm that songs take me back to memory lane way more than any of my other senses. After reviewing some notes it is actually very simple to explain: the cortex that processes auditory information is located in the temporal lobe of the brain, along with other areas that contribute to speech comprehension and auditory memory. Luckily, the temporal lobe is one of the last parts of the brain affected by progression of Alzheimer’s dementia. This is why music works, it evokes the memories that are buried deep down and inaccessible by any other cognitive pathway. It lights that spark that makes us – us.

          I chose this documentary because of the magnitude of people that are affected by Alzheimer’s and because I have a soft spot for older people, which are both tied together in this case.  I have had many discussions about how I wish America as a society valued the elderly population rather than “discarding” them in a nursing home. Getting older is just another phase of life that we will all have to experience, (only if we are lucky), and it should not be a dreaded one. There is so much wisdom and class in a person who has experienced a long life that can be unlocked by their favorite song. I love watching stuff like this, however, along with motivating me to get involved and make a difference, it also breaks my heart. There is no point in hiding that I cried several times. If you also interested in watching this, it is on Netflix and as well as Youtube. Here is a link for the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaB5Egej0TQ