Disabled student gets involved in intramural football

Jasmine Casimir // Assistant Sports Director

Despite suffering from hearing loss caused by an ear infection in his childhood, Joshua Metellus has been encouraged to play intramural football at FIU.

Intramural and club sports accept all students to participate, with accommodations for their disability. Collegiate sports differ because of the recruitment process to be a part of the team but they do offer walk-on opportunities to students.

Metellus, a junior majoring in recreation and sports management, has not let his disability prevent him from participating in sports.

Metellus was not born with his disability; he was diagnosed with hearing loss around age three or four after getting an ear infection that damaged his hearing.

“I wear hearing aids and I read people’s lips,” Metellus told Student Media. “I do get left out in conversations multiple times due to lack of awareness of my hearing loss.

Metellus loves the game of football because it’s a stress reliever for him when he’s out on the field hitting his opponent. And although his hearing can be viewed as a setback, there are resources available where he can be accommodated to play his best.

“I’m confident that if a coach had a special situation for a recruit, they could ask the school about accommodating the particular disability,” Ryan Rose, assistant director of Athletic Media Relations, told Student Media.

Metellus understands that collegiate sports do require a lot of attention, so instead of getting involved in a college level sport, family and mentors encourage him to go a different route.

“I’m very physically active to play,” said Metellus. “They recommend me to play Intramural sports such as flag football or soccer.”

If there are any students with a disability who are interested in joining a club or intramural sport, they can register at www.imleagues.com/FIU, or contact the Intramural Sports office.

Photo Credit: ECJF Photography; retrieved via Flickr.