Deaf Football Team’s Record-breaking Season
Sophomore Joshua Cypert, left, signs to freshman Xavier Gamboa, right, members of the Cubs, the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, varsity football team, during their game against the Desert Christian Knights in Riverside, Calif., on Friday night, Nov. 12, 2021.
Credit: © Adam Perez, The New York Times/Redux Pictures
In a true underdog story, the varsity football team from the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, in Riverside, California, made its way to the division championship for the first time in the 68-year school history this fall. Riverside is the only school for the deaf in southern California. It ranges from preschool through high school and only has 168 students. The football team plays in an eight-player league designed for smaller schools.
The California School for the Deaf (CSDR) Cubs rely on American Sign Language to communicate in huddles and on the field. Coach and physical education teacher Keith Adams is also deaf and has two sons on the team. The team’s closeness and mastery of coded hand signals led them through the record-breaking season.
The CSDR coaches and players have switched the narrative. Instead of hearing impairments being an obstacle to the game, they view them as an advantage. Some of the coaches have explained that hearing impairments lead to heightened visual senses, enabling players to take in more of what is going on around the field. Playing against hearing teams, they also do not have to make calls or run to the sidelines to get instructions from their coach.
The Cubs were undefeated 12-0 until they faced the Faith Baptist Contenders on Nov. 27. While the Cubs lost to the Contenders 74-22, the team counts it as a win for their school and the deaf community. The team is still reeling after the unprecedented season. With 21 of their 23 players eligible to play again next year, the Cubs are looking forward to next season, making plans to become an even stronger team.
