Exclusive tutorial: support your sports team through American Sign Language

Sports are all about emotions, as it’s often said, and we love expressing those emotions, whether it’s with ecstatic chants in the stadium or enthusiastic cheers from our living rooms. But what if you’re deaf or have severe hearing loss and want to support your favorite team or athlete?

As we gear up for the International Day of Sign Languages on September 23rd, a day established by the UN General Assembly to raise awareness on the importance of sign language, we’ve teamed up with certified American Sign Language interpreter Dana from ASL LOVE. With an exclusive crash course customized for both hearing and Deaf sports enthusiasts, it becomes clear that the love for sports knows no language barriers.

ASL Sports Tutorial: the essentials

Are you ready to cheer on your favorite team in American Sign Language? In this first part, we’ll delve into the essential fundamentals that shouldn’t be missed during a sports competition. You’ll quickly pick up the signs for sports, game, points, applause, and congratulations, all within a minute.

Part 2: how to celebrate your favorite team’s win (or loss)?

Is the excitement building up? In this second part, you’ll discover in just a minute how to use American Sign Language when your favorite team is on the brink of winning  – or losing – with the signs for celebrate, win, and lose.

Sports and American Sign Language

Dana emphasizes the importance of sign language, both in sports and beyond: “American Sign Language is a complete language with grammar rules that differ from English. It does not follow English word order and it is not a word for word English translation. As with any language, it is imperative to immerse yourself in the culture and learn from native signers. With more of the hearing population learning ASL, we can work to reduce the communication barrier between the Deaf and hearing communities.”