Lothian Disability Sport (LDS), Edinburgh Active Schools and dedicated parents from Blackhall Primary School have been working together to establish a Goalball session in the West of Edinburgh. This session began earlier this year, targeting primary pupils from the Blackhall area however is welcome to any primary school aged young people from across Edinburgh and across East of Scotland.
This session has been supported by Goalball UK and Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), however driven by a couple of enthusiastic volunteers who secured funding to develop the activity. The parent volunteers also recently completed a coaching qualification in the sport allowing them to deliver structured sessions to all attendees. The sessions at Blackhall PS have also been supported by upcoming star in the sport, Samantha Gough.
Currently, there are no other Goalball opportunities across the East of Scotland and LDS, in partnership with partners including Goalball UK and SDS, are aiming to establish a regular session for individuals of all ages looking to participate in the sport. Ideally, the session at Blackhall would lay the foundations for a regular opportunity in Edinburgh with the overall aim of developing a sustainable club.
Goalball, is an exciting Paralympic, indoor 3-a-side sport of attack and defend which is played by people who are blind or partially sighted. All players are required to wear eye shades so that nobody can see anything and ensures an even playing field for all. The idea of the game is quite simply to score goals by bowling the ball along the floor, past the opposing team. The ball has a bell in it, meaning players must rely on their other senses. To find out more about the sport, please visit www.goalballuk.com.
If you are interested in becoming involved with Goalball, please contact SDS Regional Manager (East) Neal Herbert on 0131 317 1130 or neal.herbert@scottishdisabilitysport.com.