Month: April 2024

Two photos next to each other. The photo on the left is a photo of a young girl doing archery. She is facing the target about to release her arrow. The photo on the right is a group photo of children that have participated at the multisport club. They are all smiling and cheering for the photo.

Multisport Clubs Provide Great Opportunities in the Highlands

By William Moncrieff, Communications Apprentice


This year, sportscotland has dedicated April to celebrating sport around Scotland, particularly physical activity in rural areas. To coincide with this theme, it is worth shining a spotlight on SDS member branch, Highland Disability Sport (HDS).

The HDS branch offers three clubs a week, which give participants a chance to take part in a range of new and exciting activities.

“These sessions are vital in allowing us to offer disability specific sessions, as often we do not generate the numbers for sport specific disability sessions across the Highlands. This is a great place for participants to come along and try lots of different sports”, said Fiona Green, HDS’s Development Officer.

Fiona continues to say that these multisport clubs, “play a vital role in providing a safe and welcoming environment for children to come and try sports that they possibly have never tried before or thought could be an option for them”.

In addition, she believes that trying a range of sports is a valuable experience: “I think it is really important for all children to try lots of different sports. Everyone will enjoy or be good at different things, so by trying many [different sports] they have more chance of discovering the one they love”.

The multisport clubs often provide a sense of community and give participants and their guardians an opportunity to meet similar likeminded individuals.

“They are a great place for participants to meet new people and create friendships. It is also a great place to allow parents and carers to talk”.

The multisport clubs play a vital role in giving individuals an introduction into adapted sports. Once participants who attend the clubs have had an introduction into a variety of sports, they can take the skills that they have learnt and look to apply them in a local club.

“The hope is that if individuals come along to the multi sports sessions and find an activity that they like, they will then have the confidence to continue that activity in a sport specific club in their community or come along to the Highland Disability Sport events”, said Fiona.

Alongside the health and social benefits of attending the clubs, there is also chance for personal development to be a focus point.

“We can help to support individuals into community clubs. With some of our older participants we have supported them to become volunteers at the multisport sessions to help other young people get the same enjoyment that they did from the sessions”, Fiona commented.

There are three multisport clubs a week in the Highlands, being held at Dingwall Academy, Inverness Royal Academy and Culloden Leisure Centre.

To register and for more information about these clubs, visit: https://booking.highlifehighland.com

If you are interested about more opportunities for sport around Scotland, please email Scottish Disability Sport on: admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or call: 0131 317 1130.

Team photo of the Scotland CP Football team

World Championships Victory for Scotland

Having seal qualification for the final of the IFCPF World Championships in Salou, Spain, with wins over Northern Ireland, South Korea and Chile, the Scottish CP Football Squad were determined to go one better that their 2022 campaign.

The Scots were up against Northern Ireland again in the final and as the teams took to the pitch in the warm Spanish sunshine, hopes were high of a first World Championships title.

It was Scotland who started the match the strongest and took the lead in the 7th minute through captain, Matthew Wynne. The Scots grew stronger as the first half progressed and goals from Jamie Mitchell in the 23rd minute and Mark Robertson in the 24th minute gave them a comfortable 3-0 lead at half time.

The second half was closely fought but a second goal for Matthew Wynne in the 34th minute put the tie to bed and Scotland ran our comfortable 4-0 winners. The full-time whistle was met with wild celebrations from the Scotland supporters, players and staff.

In the 3rd/4th play off match at the Championships, Chile staged an impressive comeback from 3-1 down at half time to clinch 3rd place with a 6-4 victory in extra time.

In addition to being presented with the IFCPF World Championships trophy, Scotland captain, Matthew Wynne was awarded the tournament’s Most Valuable Player accolade and Martin Hickman was recognised as the Top Goal Scorer at the Championship.

The Scottish players and staff who have represented Scotland at the IFCPF World Championships are as follows;

James McAlpine

Jamie Kelly

Kerr MacKenzie

Mark Robertson

Martin Hickman – Top Scorer of the Tournament Award (7 goals)

Matthew Wynne – Most Valuable Player Award

Blair Glynn

Sean Millership

Barry Hunter

Christopher Moore

Dean Thornton

Jamie Mitchell

Jon McFarlane

Logan Smith

Billy McAdam (Head Coach)

Ryan Coleman (Coach)

Greig Taylor (Coach)

Kirsty Pitts (Physiotherapist)

The congratulations of everyone at SDS goes to all the players, coaches and support staff on their IFCPF World Championships win.

Scotland-players-smile-for-team-photo-behind-a-IFCPF-World-Champs-banner

Scotland Suffer First Defeat in Spain But Bag Spot in the Final

Game 4: Monday 15th April 2024


Federico Lovascio’s goal 15 minutes from time gave Italy a surprise win over Scotland, giving them a real chance to make the final.

Lovascio bundled home after two previous efforts were blocked on the goal line, leading to passionate celebrations on the Italy bench, as players and staff alike realised the enormity of the moment. 

Scotland coach William McAdam made six changes to his starting seven with only Barry Hunter keeping his place from the win over Chile, including a competitive debut for youngster James McAlpine.

After a scoreless first half, the game saw its first goal in the 35-minute, as after Lovascio and Mattia Vrech both saw shots stay up, it was third time lucky as the former sent the Italian contingent into raptures.

Though Scotland pushed for a leveller, they were kept out, partly thanks to a string of brilliant saves from Daniele Beccegato. A late curler from Jon McFarlane looked to have equalised, but the Italy goalkeeper clawed it out to preserve the points for his country. A video explaining what they would need to progress to the final is live across IFCPF’s Instagram and TikTok.

 


UPDATE – Tuesday 16th April 2024: Scotland bag themselves a spot in the IFCPF World Championship final. They will take on Northern Ireland and will hope to repeat their success from their opening game, when they beat them 3-0. 

Graphic that shows Scotland versus northern Ireland in the final of the IFCPF championships

 

Scottish CP football player dribbling with the ball, playing against a Chilean player

Scotland Beat Chile 4-1 to Continue Winning Streak

Game 3: Saturday 13th April 2024


Mark Robertson marked his return to Scotland’s starting lineup with a clinical hat-trick, as Scotland defeated Chile 4-1 to confirm their place in the final.

In his first Scotland start since August, Scotland’s number seven wasted little time on his return to the starting seven, finding the back of the net within the opening three minutes to set William McAdam’s team on their way.

Chile responded past the midway point of the first half, with a brilliant run from Patricio Saavedra affording him space to shoot, and he fired past Christopher Moore to draw Chile level.

The nerves of the Scottish fans were alleviated just before half-time thanks to their talisman Martin Hickman who, after a stellar Jamie Mitchell through ball, restored Scotland’s advantage.

Two goals in 12 second-half minutes for Robertson brought up his hat-trick and put the match beyond doubt, becoming Scotland’s third hat-trick scorer this tournament. Day three sees Scotland needing a point from their final game against Italy to confirm their place at the summit of the standings, while Chile remains on a single point, a clash with Northern Ireland to follow.

Photo montage of Scotland playing in action against South Korea

Scotland Continue their Winning Ways

IFCPF World Championships 2024, Day 2 – Scotland v South Korea: 

Three goals apiece for Martin Hickman and Sean Millership propelled Scotland to a 6-2 win over South Korea, maintaining their impeccable record in the tournament.

Millership’s first-half goals set up the win, scoring in minutes 15, 21 and 22 in a seven-minute spree, while two of Martin Hickman’s goals came in the second half.

Hickman’s first opened the scoring from the edge of the box, firing home to extend his lead at the top of the goalscoring charts, which now sits at three.

South Korea had their moments to celebrate, including their first goal of the tournament, which came via a brilliant strike from Choi Jongwoon in the 20th minute, the first of three goals in as many minutes.

Hickman, Millership and young talent Kerr Mackenzie were brilliant up forward for Scotland, causing problems for the South Korean defence from the first minute to the last. Scotland will face Chile tomorrow (Saturday 13th), with South Korea facing Northern Ireland.

 

Winning Start for Scots at 2024 IFCPF World Championships

Scotland Start their IFCPF World Championships Campaign with a Win

Scotland’s CP Football Squad travelled to Salou, Spain with high hopes of success in their IFCPF World Championships campaign. The Scots had finished as runners-up when they last competed in this competition in Sardinia in 2022 and were keen to go one better this time round.

Scotland’s opening match in the competition was against old rivals, Northern Ireland earlier today. A busy schedule will also see Scotland face South Korea on 12 April, Chile on the 13 April and Italy on 15 April with the medal matches then taking place on 18 April.

It was to be a winning start to the Championships for the Scots, with an impressive 3-0 opening victory over Northern Ireland. Three goals from Martin Hickman propelled Scotland to the top of the table after the first round of matches.

Scotland dominated possession early, but it took until the 25th minute for them to break down a determined Northern Ireland defense. Hickman was located with a wonderful cross from Matthew Wynne to head home the opener.

Scotland’s second goal came early in the second half, with Hickman curling a delicate shot beyond the keeper into the bottom left corner. He completed his hat-trick in the 46th minute with a low shot after cutting in from the left to become the first player to score a hat-trick in this tournament.

A really positive start to the Championships for the Scots who will now face South Korea tomorrow.

Dark and light purple coloured poster that says , March Review. The SDS logo is in the top right hand-side corner

2024: March Review 

As we waved goodbye to winter and welcomed spring, March was a jampacked month with plenty to celebrate. Here’s a brief overview of some of those top moments. 

By Emma Logan, Communications Manager 


There were a further five Parasport Festivals in March that provided hundreds of children and young people the opportunity to participate in a great variety of inclusive sports. The West festival attracted over 100 participants, one of which has been scouted by Basketball Scotland and invited to join the National Academy.  

Tayside welcomed 20 new people to their first ever Parasport Festival – a positive indicator of the increase in Para sport awareness within the region. The East of Scotland and Shetland festivals had participants kayaking in the indoor swimming pool whilst Forth Valley offered a great range of sports, thanks to the support from 11 clubs and governing bodies. Michael McKenzie, the Regional Development Manager for Central, said, “My overall highlight was the fantastic new opportunities for first time participants such as cricket and table cricket.” 

10 festivals were held throughout this Parasport festival season, with a total of 395 children attending, 18 different sports being delivered and all were supported by local authorities, active schools, local clubs and SGBs (Scottish Governing Bodies). Regional Development Managers will now follow up with every child to support them into local opportunities.

Outside the Parasport Festivals, SDS hosted two National championships: the National Cross-Country Championships and the National Schools Boccia Championships.  

121 runners took part despite the terrible weather conditions at Alexandra Park, for the cross-country event. Athletes competed over 1km, 2km, and 3km distances. Thanks to Scottish Athletics, Shettleston Harriers, Glasgow Disability Sport and Milnbank Housing Association for their support before, during and after this event. I think we have all just about dried off… 

47 athletes from 11 branches descended to The Peak in Stirling for the second National Schools Boccia Championships. The competition was comprised of finalists of regional championships and selected athletes from SDS member branches competing in three different categories: athletes with a physical disability, learning disability and athletes using an assistive device. The full review is available here.  

A big thanks to the team of boccia officials and staff from Active Stirling for supporting the day. A special mention to the four members of our Young Person’s Sports Panel for taking on officiating and results keeping duties: Dana Brand, Grace Lawther, Finlay Davidson and Charlotte Askham. 

We were also grateful to be visited at this event by Calum from PSL, as the new staff kit was showcased. A closely contested boccia match took place between Calum, Gavin MacLeod (SDS CEO), Peter McGuire (former Paralympian in boccia) and Theresa Campbell (SDS Vice Chair).  

In more boccia news, Alex Medley from Perth Eagles Boccia Club competed at his first individual international event, the Disability Sport NI International Challenger in Belfast. Alex, who trains with the Tayside regional and Scottish National Development squads, may have missed out on a medal at this event but the youngster is brimming with talent and maturity – taking many positives away from the experience. You can read an interview with Alex following his return home, here.   

Tayside was also represented in the officiating team, with four referees from the region supporting the event. Well done to Catherine Carruthers, Darren Thomson, Sam Thomson and Graeme Doig. 

In other news, SDS was delighted to be invited to SAMH and Scottish Women in Sport’s Young Women in Sport Leadership Programme to deliver boccia to their cohort. The one-year programme run by SAMH and Scottish Women in Sport, funded by Active Scotland, aims to empower the next generation of young women in sport to be confidant leaders. Boccia was invited along as an example of a sport that everyone can participate in and gain both physical and mental health benefits from.  

 SDS had two board members present: Sarah Pryde-Smith and Aileen Neilson. Sarah took on the role as mentor to the young group of women whilst Aileen shared her story and took part in a question-and-answer session. 

The event further developed the partnership between SDS, SAMH and Scottish Women in Sport to support the development of sport and its leaders; continually striving to promote inclusivity and highlight the benefits of getting active. 

Off the court, funding from Motability has allowed for a range of fully funded SDS educational workshops to be offered to branches. A great opportunity for branches to upskill and develop in areas of their choice.  

SDS is also working with the Scottish Sensory Centre and Education Scotland, to track interest from schools and local authorities for fully-funded ‘More Than a Bell Ball’ and inclusive PE workshops. It is estimated that up to 1,000 learners will benefit from attending these workshops. Consequently, thousands of people with disabilities are predicted to benefit as they will have an increased access to quality opportunities in community sport, PE and school sports.  

 

Make sure to follow SDS on Facebook, X and Instagram to stay up-to-date on SDS news and activities.

Two photos of six medallists from the championships.

Three Crowned at National Schools Boccia Championships

By Jonathan Kennedy


On the 20th of March 2024 Scottish Disability Sport hosted the National Schools Boccia Championships for the second time ever. This event allowed every Branch to send athletes in order to compete and have a chance at being crowned, Scottish Schools Boccia Champion.

47 athletes from 11 Branches around Scotland competed for the title. There was a fantastic atmosphere amongst the athletes, parents, schools and team manager.

Medals would be up for grabs in three categories: athletes with a learning disability, athletes who use an assistive device and athletes who have a physical disability. All nine courts of The Peak were in use to accommodate for such an exciting day of competition.

There were close matches all over the hall with 16 of the matches having to go down to a tie breaker including one of the medal matches. A huge well done to everyone who was selected to represent their branch at this event.
A big congratulation goes to our event champions and medallists (see below): 

Athlete with a learning disability – 

Gold: Eleanor Little
Silver: Scott Chafey
Bronze: Kate Burton

Photo of the gold, silver and bronze medallists standing with their medals

 

Athletes who use an assistive device:

Gold: Sophia Walsh
Silver: Ellie Maclaren
Bonze: Logan Millar

Photo of the gold, silver and bronze medallists with their medals and assistants.

 

Athletes with a physical disability:

Gold: Layla McCloskey
Silver: Emma McManamon
Bronze: James O’Brien

Photo of the gold, silver and bronze medallists with their medals

 

Finally, this event would not have been possible without the support of our officials, branches and staff.