A Call for 24/365 Adaptive Sports Media Coverage
It is clear that fan interest in adaptive sports is on the rise. Every Paralympic Games venue is charged with an electric energy, as fans convey sincere interest and investment in both the athletes and the sports. This interest will hopefully translate into a desire for more and more media coverage so fans will be able to to consume adaptive sports 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
Athletes with disabilities create remarkable and marketable athletic moments that need to be viewed on a regular basis. Advertisers and sponsors are jumping on board and now we are ready for non-stop media coverage! A burgeoning desire is emerging to bring athletes with disabilities out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
Adaptive sport competitions definitely provide enough content to fill different media platforms. Local, national and international competitions across sports take place on a regular basis, but in relative obscurity. Athletes exhibit tremendous athleticism and competitiveness in basketball, rugby, tennis, soccer, rowing, triathlon, track and field, sledge hockey, skiing, surfing, skateboarding, and volleyball to name just a sampling of the sports.
Not everyone who works out or plays a sport aspires to be a highly competitive athlete. So too, not everyone with a disability wants to become a highly competitive athlete. We all, however, can encourage and celebrate athletes with disabilities who choose to pursue sport at the elite level and strive to reach their highest potential in the world of sport. Just as the general public becomes sports fans and follows athletes and teams, people with and without disabilities can also share their support for athletes with disabilities.
We are starting to see more people with and without disabilities who are knowledgeable and competent enough to cover adaptive sports. Adaptive sports present a creative untapped platform for content and exposure to an emerging market in the sports industry. The professionalization of the management of adaptive sports is facilitating and leading to growth and opportunities for increased media coverage.
More sophisticated coverage needs to focus on sports and athleticism rather than just on human-interest angle stories. More frequent sport-focused coverage will make it possible to tell a more diverse range of stories and provide more in depth and comprehensive coverage. It will be possible to share more statistics and results on athletes and more avenues for fans to engage with and follow athletes with disabilities.
The time is now for mainstream media networks to elevate their coverage of adaptive athletes. Online platforms can develop dedicated tabs and sections to feature ongoing coverage of adaptive sports. Journalists with expertise in this area should be utilized and brought on board to help develop this content as well. Together, media representatives can bring athletes with disabilities to the forefront 24/365. The world is ready!
[This article has been edited by the Operating Team]
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