I said communicate using the majority's mode, listening and speaking. Yes, there are many different ways to communicate, but I am saying that without a CI, a deaf person can not understand spoken language though listening.
So? You make deafness sound really, really horrible and bad.
About sports, I was saying it was NOT the coach's right to say whether or not the CI is an issue, that is the parent and doctor's decision.
That's where it comes a problem. Although your millage may vary, encountering a school where there are liability concerns do exist. Not all schools are well informed or well educated in the pros and cons of CI. There may be dealings with severe ignorance whereas legal council may be needed to make changes in school policies and or misinformed beliefs.
You'd be lucky you find a school that will not mind a child having CI, but not all of them will feel the same way.
As for my child exceling in other areas....ANYTHING BUT SPORTS! If she decides to do sports I will support her but I would rather she do music, theatre, dance, debate, science club, chess club, french, a-v club, art, Amnesty Internation, mathletes, academic bowl, 4-h, girl scouts, Young Republicans, future farmers of america, the model UN, student council, or ANYTHING ELSE.
What if she's a tom boy :p and wants to play football with the boys? Tough call on that one, wouldn't it? Rare, but they do happen (w/ or w/o a CI that is).
Other contact games/sports would be Volley Ball, Dodge Ball, Kick Ball (those rubber kick balls pack a punch, I remember them well. Beaned me right on my HA and left my ear bleeding. OUCH. But HA is ok, eardrum somewhat damaged, but it healed itself nicely over time, thank goodness).
On the side note, those other activities is fine and dandy. My nieces are pretty heavy into all those things. Dunno how they can keep up with all that, but they're doing pretty good. Both of them are deaf too and they didn't need CI to excel in any of them. They aced in everything. I'm pretty darn impressed. They take after my mother who is also deaf.
Is that clear enough?