By Maverick Kravitz, age 9
Having hearing loss is hard. You can never really hear things clearly. Sometimes I wish people could understand how hard it is to really be in the moment when you can’t hear everything that is happening around you.
Sports are not easy for me. No sport is easy. Imagine the challenge of playing sports and then add in hearing loss. I just have to focus harder.
Basketball and football are my favorite sports and they are both noisy places. There are coaches yelling, teammates talking, people cheering, and a lot happening at a fast pace and at the same time.
Sometimes, when it is hard for me to hear, I know that a lot of other people can’t hear either. But for me, it is a challenge I deal with every day. It helps when you have a coach you connect with. I have had really good coaches who communicate well with me.
I don’t always think my teammates understand that I have hearing loss. It’s because hearing loss is invisible. But I live with it every moment.
Sometimes people ask me about the things in my ears. They are my hearing aids. People ask questions like, “Do they run on batteries?” or “What’s it like?” Honestly, it’s very hard.
I get frustrated a lot of times. But I’ve learned that you have to stay calm. Hearing loss is teaching me to pay attention.
My best advice to someone with hearing loss is to stay calm and take it day by day. Surround yourself with good people, friends, and a supportive family. You’ll get used to it faster than you think.
Hearing loss gives you a daily challenge to overcome. It makes you a more responsible person early on because most people forget what you are dealing with every day.
But hearing loss does not define you. It is an opportunity to be tough. And even on the hard days, you should talk about how you feel with your family.
You don’t have to hide the hard days. Just stay calm, keep going, and take it one day at a time.
Now in 3rd grade, Maverick Kravitz and his family appeared on the Spring 2025 cover of Hearing Health magazine.
The Latest Blog Posts
I don’t always think my teammates understand that I have hearing loss. It’s because hearing loss is invisible. But I live with it every moment.