Adaptive Sports
Seat
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Square or rectangular with each side at least 30 cm in length.
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Seat height can be no greater than 75 cm
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Seat must either be level or incline backwards (the back is lower than the front).
Rests
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Seat may include back rests and sides for safety and stability.
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It is recommended that sides do not block the view of athlete position in seat for official purposes.
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Rests may be made of non-elastic fabric or rigid construction (steel, aluminum)
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Rests may not move, have no more than 5 cm of padding, and may not add energy to the throw.
Foot Plates
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Recommended for all classifications for stability.
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Athletes legs and feet should be secured to chair. This creates a stable base and ensures that movement is not lost during the throw.
Holding Bar
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The frame may include a rigid vertical holding bar.
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Bar must be a single, straight bar round or square in shape.
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Bar may not have springs, moveable joints, or any type of addition that may add energy to the throw.
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Bar may not contain tape, padding, or any type of built up coating.
Seated Shot Put
Athlete Positioning
All athletes must throw from a "true seated position."
This ensures that all athletes have equal advantage by minimizing strength and power contribution from the legs.
True Seated Position
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Seated with both legs in contact with seat.
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Contact must remain from back of the knees to the back of the buttocks (ischial tuberosity).
Athletes must stay seated throughout entire throw until it has been marked by the official.
Any movement from this position after the athlete takes the shot and before the put is considered a "lifting" foul.
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This means that the entire back of the leg (from the knee to the ischial tuberosity) must remain in contact with the seat through the entire throw as the athlete leans forward.
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Elevation of fleshy parts posterior to the ischial tuberosity point of contact is legal.
As adapted from the Paralympic Track and Field Officials Training Handbook, Figure 1 demonstrates the lifting foul rule.
The purple arrow represents the point of contact of the ischial tuberosity. From this point forward to the back of the knees must remain in contact with the chair throughout the entire throw.
Any fleshy part posterior to the ischial tuberosity, as labeled in Figure 1, may legally lift from the seat.
Power
Athletes that stand deliever power from the legs up.
Seated shot put requires the same mechanics, except now the athlete has to generate most of their power from the trunk up.
For athletes with physical disabilities, securing the legs gives the athlete a stable base to push off from. He or she is then able to generate power through the legs, pelvis, and trunk secondary to the increased stability.
For additional security, athlete's legs and feet can be secured using straps and footplates. The more secure the athlete's legs are, the more stable of a base they have to use for pushoff leverage. Any subsequent movement in the lower extremity will dissipate the amount of power the athlete generates.
Performance
Athletes may use a grab bar for additional support.
Athletes should trial use of hold bar to see what works best for him or her.
Often athletes with decreased trunk strength benefit from the grab bar as it provides additional support transferring weight from back to front of chair, but any athlete may benefit from its use.
Athletes in classes 56 and 57 have full abdominal use and can actively shift weight and rotate. These athletes with more muscular control may find that the holding bar inhibits freedom of movement and decreases performance.
If athlete decides to use grab bar, arm should be positioned with elbow bent to 90 degrees and arm tucked into side as demonstrated in Figure 2. This will create as much stability as possible so that all the energy is transferred through the opposing arm's shot put.
Note: Athletes in classes F51, F52, or F53 may tape their gloved non-throwing hand to the holding bar.
Delivery
Weight should be shifted from rear to front, with the throw sequence starting at hips, moving up to back, and out through the arm.
When delivering the put, the thrower should focus on rotation around the spine rather than extension.
Excessive extension of the lumbar spine may hinder performance and potentially cause musculoskeletal injuries and pain due to the compressive nature this puts on the lower back in a seated position.
Athete should focus on rotating around the spine, keeping arm as one unit, and using chest to press out.
Chairs may be placed in the throwing circle at an angle, maximizing the athlete's rotational ability.
Training
Just like a traditional track and field athlete, athletes with physical disabilties can improve performance with helpful training tips.
Training should focus on chest expansion and power output.
Because many athletes with physical disabilities spend the majority of time in a wheelchair, they spend a lot of time in a rounded, forward shoulder position.
By strengthening posterior scapulothoracic musculature and stretching anterior chest muscular, athletes will be placed in a more optimal starting position, enabling greater performance.
Pec Stretch: As demonstrated in Figure 3, stretching the pec muscles are important to enable the athlete to get enough chest expansion and shoulder range of motion.
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A: stretching the sternal fibers of pectoralis major with shoulder elevated 120 degrees
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B: stretching the clavicular fibers of the pectoralis major with shoulder elevated 45 degrees.
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All fibers can be stretched simultaneously with shoulder elevated 90 degrees.
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Figure 3: Pec Stretch
Strengthening the chest, shoulder, and arm musculature, will improve athlete's ability to generate force needed to increase shot put distance.
Strengthening exercises should be performed in 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions with a weight that is comfortable and challenging. The athlete should be fatigued by the end of the third set, while maintaining proper form.
Holding the Shot
Identical to traditional shot put
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Held at the base of the fingers (not in the palm) with fingers spread apart and thumb as support
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Held against athletes neck
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Elbow parallel to the ground.
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The elbow should be kept high throughout throw. Lowering the elbow can result in the shot being thrown like a baseball and result in injury.
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Thumb pointed down towards collarbone
Drills
The shot put motion is often difficult for first time field athletes. Most are used to overhead throwing, but shot put is more of a high power chest pass. Drills should be performd to help atheltes improve form and explosive power of the throw.
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Medicine ball chest pass: Have athlete play catch with you or other athletes using a weighted ball and chest pass (instead of overhead) throwing form.
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Stroke practice: Have athlete push into your hand, practicing power generation as well as proper form as demonstrated in the video below
Figure 1: True seated position
Figure 4: Shoulder Raise
Figure 5: Bicep Curls
Figure 6: Shoulder Press
Figure 7: Seated Rows
Figure 8: Overhead Tricep Press
Figure 9: Seated Pulldown
Legal Throwing Frame
It is the athlete's responsibility to ensure his/her throwing chair meets all requirements.
Figure 2: Grab Bar
Athletes unable to transfer into throwing chair are permitted to use a Power chair or Day chair.
Unfortunately athletes not using a throwing frame do not get the benefit of the 75 cm height which is correlated with an increased throwing distance.
Classification
Athletes competing in the Paralympics are grouped by classifications. These classifications group athletes based on impairment to ensure that competition is fair and equal. Athletes perform against other athletes with similar abilities ensuring that performance is based on skill, power, fitness, and training.
For school inclusion, athletes are not grouped by these same classifications. Instead, athletes are divided by sex, school level (middle school vs. high school), and performance (seated vs. ambulatory).