ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — Shuffleboard is great for everyone, including older people. It’s an activity that demands no physical ability of speed or agility for the participants—for one shuffler, that includes eyesight.
Michael O’Donnell, 68, is changing the perception of a game he can’t see.
“I am what they call 'NLP.' It means no light perception,” O’Donnell said. “It’s a very small percentage of the actual vision-impaired community. My world is black.”
The cause of his darkness, sudden blindness, happened nearly a decade ago when he suffered a rare complication after coronary bypass surgery.
“I thought my whole world ended,” he said. “It’s hard to rationalize; it’s always hard to rationalize. I still want to do stuff and get out and about.”
That’s when a neighbor in his Zephyrhills condominium community introduced O’Donnell to the sport.
“I listened to some people playing shuffleboard and thought, ‘Why not go up there and have some fun?’ If I can get to the other end of the court, I will be doing well,” O’Donnell said.
Listening—that’s the key.
O’Donnell and neighbor Dick Lightner, a former professional shuffleboard player, created a system based on sound.
“He tells me what the scope of the court is,” O’Donnell said.
“I have to position him for the right shot,” Lightner said. “I’ll get him lined up at the shooting area.”
“He gives me two or three different options for which shot I want to go for,” O’Donnell added. “He will tap the court with his stick; I line up where that stick taps the court. That’s what I am going off, that stick, that sound. I’m shooting for that sound.”
Since losing his eyesight, he’s tried competing in other activities like corn hole and horseshoes. O’Donnell has found that shuffleboard is where he has the most fun and can stay competitive.
“I was a pilot before I lost my eyesight,” he said. “I can’t fly an aircraft anymore. I know what the sensation is. I get similar sensations from playing shuffleboard. When I compete and hit the target, I feel accomplished. It’s great for my ego.”
And even better for his quality of life.
“There is always a light. If you look hard enough, there is always a light.”
