Tag: athletics

Two young boys using wheelchairs smile as they play a game of boccia together.

Success for Rescheduled Grampian Parasport Festival

 

After being rescheduled from September following the sad demise of Queen Elizabeth II, the 2022 Grampian Parasport Festival was an overwhelming success thanks to the efforts of a number of partner clubs and organisations working together.

This year’s attendees were treated to taster sessions in 7 different sports including judo which was introduced for the first time in Grampian this year. Kayaking, a firm favourite in 2021, also returned along with football/powerchair football, boccia, wheelchair basketball, table tennis, swimming and athletics.

After a busy day of sport, the participants had a surprise visit from Paralympic skiing gold medalists, Neil Simpson MBE and Andrew Simpson MBE who took some time out of their busy training schedule to meet the youngsters and collect the Angus Trophy which was awarded to them at this years SDS Awards event in September.

The event, held annually in the first class accessible facilities at Aberdeen Sports Village, provides an opportunity for children and young people in mainstream education across Moray, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire with physical disabilities, vision impairments or hearing loss to try out a range of adapted sport in a safe and welcoming environment. It also gives them the chance to meet other children with disabilities and for families to meet others with disabled children. The hope is that many of the attendees will try something new, develop an interest in sport and go on to participate in regular opportunities in their local area.

The Parasport Festival also serves as an invaluable education and CPD opportunity for coaches and students. It’s provides a unique experience of hands-on coaching and communication with multiple people with a variety of disability types and support needs in one location. We’re incredibly grateful to work in partnership with North East Scotland College, whose 75 Sports Coaching students and 40 Uniformed Services students underwent training and assisted with a variety of tasks including providing 1:1 support to participants, supporting coaches, directing traffic, liaising with operations staff, setting up equipment and leading groups of children.

The Parasport Festival wouldn’t be possible without the support of some of Grampian’s best clubs and organisations including Active Schools Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray, Scottish Swimming, Sport Aberdeen, Aberdeen Sports Village, Live Life Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen Kayak Club, Scottish Canoe Association, University of Aberdeen Canoe Club, Ultimate Judo, Banchory Community Football Club, Aberdeen & District Table Tennis Association, Aberdeen Amateur Athletics Club, Scottish Athletics, Grampian Flyers Wheelchair Basketball Club and Basketball Scotland.

Thanks also go to the Scottish Disability Sport staff who supported the event, and Grampian athletes (and Parasport Festival graduates) Jack Caird & Tegan Davidson who undertook registration and group leadership duties on the day.

If you, or anyone you know, lives with a physical, sensory or learning disability in Grampian or Shetland & is interested in getting involved in sport, please get in touch with Alison on alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com or 07828 744 848.
A child leaps in the air over the long jump pit

Grampian Schools’ Sportshall Event Success

Grampian School pupils descended upon Aberdeen Sports Village to take part in the annual Sportshall Athletics Festival after a year’s break

Despite concerns that schools would be unable to support the event due to rising Omicron cases, over 40 pupils from schools all over Grampian were in attendance.

Additional COVID measures were in place including moving the event to ASV’s well-ventilated, large Indoor Athletics area, restricting the number of entrants, and a strict regime of hand gelling/sanitising equipment. However, this didn’t detract from the pupils’ enjoyment of the activities – a series of 6 athletics-based stations that tested pupils’ agility, speed, throwing and jumping skills.  The day culminated in relays on the Village’s 400m outdoor track.

Participant, Lucy, said of the event “I totally loved it. I’m so glad I came”.

It is hoped that a team of pupils will be selected from the event to attend the National Adapted Sportshall Athletics Festival in March.

Thanks goes to to Jamie from Live Life Aberdeenshire for organising the event, Ruth from Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club for training the students and overseeing activities on the day, the students from North East Scotland College for leading the groups and activity stations, and placement student, Iain Boyd, for his assistance across the whole event.

If you, or anyone you know, lives with a physical, sensory or learning disability in Grampian or Shetland & is interested in getting involved in sport, please get in touch with Alison on alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com or 07828 744 848.

Group photo of competitors with Celtic FC Foundation sign

West of Scotland Schools Cross Country

Bellahouston Park was once again the venue for the West of Scotland School’s Cross Country Event.

Thursday 1st December saw the second event of the series and on a beautiful day in Glasgow, 244 Primary and Secondary pupils competing in spectacular conditions.  On this occasion, the course was reversed, which provided the runners with some different challenges.

Organised in partnership with scottishathletics and Glasgow Active Schools, the races on offer were 1km, 2km and 3km.

Some great performances from both boys and girls were on display and this leads nicely into the 3rd event, which will take place on Thursday 19th January at Bellahouston Park.  Once the series is completed, winners and runners up in each category will be awarded with series medals.

Through the ‘Inspiring Sport’ Project, run in partnership with the Celtic FC Foundation, the West of Scotland Schools events organised by a small group of teachers, are of paramount importance to the young people in the 13 Local Authorities.  Not only do these competitions provide a pathway in a variety of sports, but they ensure that young people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities access physical activity and sport and all the health and social benefits that sport brings.

Thanks to Shona Malcolm OBE, scottishathletics, volunteer officials and the pupils from Abercorn School in Glasgow who marshalled the course brilliantly.

Mascot Leaping Leo joins in Wheelchair Basketball with some of the pupils and coaches

South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Sports Day

South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture recently hosted a successful wheelchair sports day for school pupils who use a wheelchair from across South Lanarkshire to come along and try out a variety of different sports activities.

Pupils from five different schools attended and enjoyed being led in a number of sports sessions including tennis, rugby, basketball and athletics.

The sessions were delivered by SLLC coaches, basketballscotland and Rutherglen Tennis Club.  The children all had a great time and also enjoyed a special visit from Leaping Leo – who even joined in some of the wheelchair basketball.

Everyone who took part ended the day by getting a medal along with an ACE bag, water bottle and timetable showing all the disability sessions on in the local area.