1) Silent Basketball Game

Many people love basketball, but what does the word "silent" here mean? It means playing basketball without hearing anything. The feeling of playing "basketball silently" is known only to the Deaf Women's Basketball Team players. For us, we could only experience it by trying to play basketball in a "silent environment". Only when we are placed in such silent world could we relate to them and really understand the hardships of the Deaf Women’s Basketball Team.

Trying to play basketball in a "silent environment" was a completely new experience to everyone in our team; we had to wear earplugs while playing. Once we put on the earplugs, there seemed to be a membrane growing outside of our ears; dialogues of others and even the orders given by the coaches became blurry. The clearest sound was the sound of your own voice. After this experience, we finally understood the difficulties in executing the orders on the court for the deaf players. Their hard work despite of these hardships is very admirable.

This experience of playing basketball "in silence" made a deep impression on us. The power of silence is a power of life that never gives up. We put ourselves in deaf players’ shoes, and gained better understanding of the difficulties faced by the hearing-impaired persons. We developed empathy and learned to care and accommodate their feelings. We felt the passion and sincerity of these deaf players, and the silent love between them. They were so friendly and enthusiastic! The moment when we took the earplugs off, we realized how important and precious it is to "hear".

2) Reflections on the World Deaf Basketball Championship Games

Liang-ying’s reflection

"Beep!" Chinese Taipei Deaf Women's Basketball Team had just made another shot. The audience cheered and my mood fluctuated up and down with the changing scores. But before we could find out which team wins, it was halftime, which meant it was time for us to hand out the questionnaires. In the beginning, I was very nervous about approaching the respondents. But after a few practices, it all went smoothly. Among the respondents, I found a family that was very supportive of the deaf players; all the members of this family came to the game to root for the players. There were also some hearing-impaired athletes that had come especially to observe the game.

Halftime was quickly over, and everyone put their focus back to the game. I noticed that deaf players would often utter sounds to intimidate the opponents. These sounds, as I learned later, were specially trained in order to strengthen their confidence. Although the Taiwan Deaf Women's Basketball Team tried their best in today's game, they were at a disadvantage against the tall and strong American players. During the process of the game, however, I could see that although the Deaf Women's Basketball Team was aware of this point, they fought to the end in a collaborative manner, which was very admirable.

En-chi’s reflection

"Chinese Taipei Team Go!" These were the cheers from the audience of Ling Yang Team. The opponent of Ling Yang Team today was the American Team. Although Ling Yang Team players were not as tall as the Americans and might not "hear" theses cheers, they worked hard to make the shots. Even if the opposing team succeeded in the shots one after another, their willpower and confidence were not quenched. I could not help but believing that every cloud has a silver lining.

During halftime, together with my team member, we invited the audience to fill in the questionnaires. I was very happy to see that they were glad to help and moved by their constant cheering for the Deaf Women's Basketball Team. I even took a photo with a member of the national deaf men's basketball team in the audience! In the end, Ling Yang Team did not win the game. But I still believe that as long as they have the perseverance, willpower and passion, they will rise up from any challenges and difficulties, no matter how hard these might be. As stated in their book, "We will not stop, just steadily moving forward." I am grateful to the Taiwan Deaf Women's Basketball Team and other members of the national teams, for bringing glory to Taiwan.

Hsuan-yun’s reflection

The World Deaf Basketball Championships had begun. "Ling Yang Team"--the subject of our research, was also a participant and I just could not wait to reach Taoyuan Gymnasium. During the process, I found that over one third of the audience were deaf or mute, which was a very special phenomenon. In addition, I could see a sign language teacher in the front of every seating area. They were working as the translator so that every spectator could know clearly about all the details of the event.

When the players entered the gymnasium, all the fans cheered in the upmost enthusiastic manner. During the process of the game, I found that every time the referee blew the whistle, the hoop would also light up. Later, I learned that this was a design in consideration of the players' hearing loss. The light was used as an auxiliary. At that time, I was greatly struck by the power of silence. These players had overcome physical and sensory disabilities and gone through constant practices before they could give such perfect performance on stage. In our life, it might not be possible for us to take good shots every time. But the players who are well prepared can make the shoot at any time. "Ling Yang, Go!"

Yun-jui’s reflection

"Pass! Pass!" These were the shouts coming from Ms. Teng, the coach of Chinese Taipei Deaf Women's Basketball Team. Although the players might not hear her clearly, they still tried their best to win the game. This was the 2015 World Deaf Basketball Championships, during which a player was hurt and had to rest by the court for the moment. While she was lying there, I could see the pain on her face. But within a short time, she stood up bravely and went back to the game. The diligent players, the shouting of the coaches, and the cheering of the fans from the seating area, all moved me greatly and motivated the players as well.

I think the deaf players are very inspiring. Although they cannot hear, they still rise up to challenges. Chinese Taipei Sports Association of the Deaf also encourages these female warriors to transform disadvantages into advantages. The deaf players tend to be more focused and not easily distracted from the game because of their hearing loss. Watching them play in the game at the court side, I learned a lot: basketball is a sport that requires teamwork for success. In the future, I will care more about the hearing-impaired persons and learn from their spirit of hard work.

Yun-han’s reflection

"There is an open slot there, why don't you pass the ball?" "Block! Block! She would have to cut if you block her!" These were the eager reminders of Ms. Teng during every training session of the Deaf Women's Basketball Team. She has to shout very loudly and in very high pitch because the players could not hear very well. Still, these players strive for excellence. They face the devilish training bravely and improve on their physical strength. They also know that basketball is a game that requires not only the skills and strength of individuals, but also full cooperation between team members. That’s the reason why I always see happy smiles despite the sweat dripping down their faces after the training.

We also went to watch the World Deaf Basketball Championships. In one game, the opponent of Chinese Taipei Deaf Women's Basketball Team was Israel. In the end, Chinese Taipei team defeated them with a spectacular 20-point win. However, in the following game with Greece, they lost with a double-digit disadvantage due to the substantial sports injuries among the players. It was such a great pity! But no matter what, as the saying goes, "Neither turn arrogant in victory nor lose heart in defeat". I am touched by their relentless pursuit of dreams despite their hearing loss. I hope everyone can care more about the hearing-impaired and give them more support and encouragement.

Fu-en’s reflection

Have you heard of the World Deaf Basketball Championships? Have you heard of the Deaf Women's Basketball Team? If not, you will find out after reading this article. Although Chinese Taipei Deaf Women's Basketball Team did not win the best title in the 2015 World Deaf Basketball Championships, their performance was remarkable for a team that was established for only a few years and still acquiring experiences in international sporting events. They cannot not hear, or even speak clearly, but they can play basketball. How amazing!

I enjoyed this game very much. While they played on the court, I cheered for them by the side. It was such an unforgettable experience to cheer out loud for the players in a game which is not well-known or popular. I hope they could win the champion in the DIBF Asia Pacific Cup and as well as other champions in the future. I also hope that the government could provide more resources so that this team could develop itself, increase its visibility and bring glory to our country.

Chieh-ting’s reflection

Tonight, I had a brand new experience: cheering for the Chinese Taipei Deaf Women's Basketball Team in the World Deaf Basketball Championships. I was also assigned a special task: inviting the audience to fill in the questionnaires for our Webpage research project. When I set foot on the Taoyuan Arena, I was greeted by the spectacular venue. The roof was designed like a sunflower. Another thing special about the gymnasium was that there were two basketball courts. I learned from the staff that it was setup this way so that the women's game and the men's game could be held at the same time. The opponent of Chinese Taipei Deaf Women's Basketball Team today was from Israel. It was an exciting game, with defenses, attacks, cuts and passes attracting the attention of all the spectators.

The most valuable quality of these players was their focus on the game. They performed so well and won the game with scores of 62:42. Once the game was over, my task began. I handed out the questionnaires to the audience as fast as I could. In the beginning, since most people in the audience were hearing-impaired persons and could not understand me, they were not willing to fill in the questionnaires and I was frustrated. After a kind reminder from my mom, I began to use sign language and politely asked them to read the introductory on the questionnaires. In the end, I had 15 questionnaires completed. This was a really rewarding trip: I watched the Deaf Women's Basketball Team won a game through cooperation; I also learned that if you do not succeed the first time, just keep trying using a different approach.