Scottish Borders ran a very successful inaugural Cycling Disability Inclusion practical workshop in partnership with Scottish Cycling and Scottish Disability Sport Disability on Thursday 14th July at Peebles.

Scottish Cycling tutor Chris Bryant delivered a well organised and practical course to eight coaches from cycling clubs across the region. Candidates covered essential theory components such as increasing their understanding of the Sports Inclusion Model in a cycling environment and using STEP as the main component for adaptation.

It was a privilege to have Blazing Saddles and their stock of adaptive bikes at hand for the practical session. Coaches had to delivery various scenarios so they could apply the theory of inclusion training in a realistic situation with differing bikes and equipment.

The workshop proved invaluable in demonstrating how cycling can be inclusive for riders with a disability. It allowed coaches to enhance their understanding of adaptations that could be made. Therefore, creating an inclusive environment by using effective questioning and concise communication to generate a more effective rider profile to ease planning for riders with a disability.

Alan Oliver, LIVE BORDERS Disability Sport Development Officer, added: “It was fantastic to run another inaugural Disability Inclusion Training workshop in the Borders and thanks to all the coaches and Chris for a magnificent course. It definitely gives individuals with a disability the reassurance and opportunity to attend local clubs.”

Disability Sport Fife has selected a strong team of bowlers with a physical, visual or learning disability for the 2016 National Lawn Bowls Championships organised by Scottish Disability Sport at the Westburn Park in Aberdeen. The Championships will be held on Saturday 3rd September and Craig Donaldson from Kinghorn and Central Fife CSS and World Champion Martin Hunter from Burntisland BC will be hoping to defend the singles titles that they won in 2015.

Competing in different sections for physically disabled bowlers in addition to Martin Hunter will be Michael Simpson from Auchtermuchty and Strathmiglo BC and Barbara McMillan from Cowdenbeath BC. All three were part of the Scottish Team that won the Home Nations title at Kelvingrove in June. Michael Simpson captained the Scottish team and led from the front. Barbara played her best international tournament to date and Martin similarly contributed significantly to a great Scottish performance. Sadly the team is without world champion Maria Spencer from Abbeyview BC who is unwell. Experienced Eleanor Clark from Kirkcaldy will ensure that Team Fife is represented in the sections for visually impaired bowlers.
Early in the month Team Fife retained the Inter Area Team title at the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy. The event brought together the country’s leading players with a learning disability to compete in singles, pairs and triples. All bowlers representing Fife in Aberdeen were part of that outstanding team performance. Craig is the defending champion but Fife has several representatives who are capable of lifting the national title.

DSF welcomes back Pamela Mitchell from Dunfermline to Team Fife. Pamela plays most of her bowls indoors at Headwell but she is an excellent lawn bowler. Mary Wilson from Edinburgh will be representing Fife for the first time in the section for physically disabled non restricted women. Wullie Christie from East Fife CSS is also a first timer having secured his place in the team when he won the Section 2 title at the Beveridge Park.

John Collins is the Fife Team Manager once more and he will be backed up by a strong team of support staff. The Aberdeen event brings the outdoor season to an end and Fife bowlers turn their attention to the hugely popular Indoor Championships at the East Fife Indoor BC at Aberhill. The full Fife team is as follows:

Michael Simpson, Martin Hunter, Billy Allan, Stuart Chesby, Barbara McMillan, Mary Wilson, Wullie Harrison, Neil Laughlin, Kenny Dow, Eleanor Clark, Darryl Stewart, Gary Lindsay, Wullie Christie, Gary Handyside, Pamela Mitchell, Tanis Murphy, Michelle Wallace, Julie Allan and Craig Donaldson.

Photo: Defending Champion Martin Hunter delivers a winning bowl at the Home Nations in Glasgow.

Richard Brickley MBE
President Disability Sport Fife

Since March 2016, five young gymnasts with Down Syndrome have joined the Enigma Gymnastics Club Sunday afternoon coach led session in Leven. In preparation for their arrival, Disability Sport Fife (DSF) put on a disability inclusion workshop for coaches and volunteers which the club strongly supported. Head coach Jenn Mann has led this partnership initiative between Enigma GC and DSF with financial support from the Kirkcaldy and Central Fife Sports Council. All five gymnasts are registered with British Gymnastics and have been appropriately screened in accordance with the protocols of the GB governing body.

Seven year old Myles was already a member of the Club and he has made significant advances since the arrival of the new members. Mum Paula is a committee member and Meg Buchanan from Sports Development has played her part in promoting the club sessions. Numbers are small and the Enigma Club and DSF are keen to promote the programme more vigorously in the period ahead. Myles was recently awarded the British Gymnastics Pre School 2^nd reward certificate. Myles has also achieved Gymnast of the Week during the past term.

Another young gymnast, Sophie (16), had previously participated in gymnastics but with another Club. The family had to travel extensively to train outside Fife. Sophie now attends the Enigma Club weekly and has been working through British Gymnastics proficiency awards. Sophie has recently passed Award 4. Sophie was so happy to receive the award and could not wait to show a club picture of the occasion to her school teachers.

The other three young gymnasts, Charlie (7 years), Eve (8 years) and Kya (9 years), are new to the sport and are adapting to the learning environment well. Like Sophie, they have been introduced to the British Gymnastics proficiency awards programme and have passed Awards 8 and 7. All of the young gymnasts work one to one with Club helpers under the instruction of the Head Coach.  The girls and boys work through skills on floor, vault and bench work. Large and small apparatus are used to help the youngsters learn the new gymnastics skills.

All gymnasts proudly wear the Enigma Club t shirts and hoodies and their backpacks are never far away from their side. The grant from Kirkcaldy and Central Fife Sports Council has helped enormously with costly initial registrations and memberships. Three of the young gymnasts have purchased Club leotards demonstrating their commitment to the Enigma Club going forward.

After the summer holidays, the Enigma Gymnastics Club will move to new facilities within Levenmouth Academy. The five gymnasts will be offered places in the new school gymnastics sessions. Feedback from parents has been very positive. Disability Sport Fife and partner Enigma Gymnastics Club hope to attract new young gymnasts with Down Syndrome to the sessions. The new school will offer improved facilities and access to larger equipment. The future is bright for this excellent Fife sporting partnership. Interested new members should contact Disability Sport Fife.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Tuesday 28th June was a very special day at Wimbledon with the inaugural Aegon National British Tennis Awards recognising some of the incredible achievements made in British tennis in 2015.

The awards held at the All England Lawn Tennis Club celebrated some of the successes of volunteers, coaches, clubs communities and players from across Great Britain. Ten winners were selected out of 1,500 exceptional nominations and received their award at a special ceremony at the home of tennis.

HRH The Duchess of Gloucester, Davis Cup Captain Leon Smith, Andrew Castle, Annabel Croft and LTA President Cathie Sabin where all in attendance to meet the guests and present awards to the winners.

The disability accolade is given to a programme that has a welcoming, sociable and friendly atmosphere and provides a safe and inclusive environment, offering a quality programme including coaching, camps and festivals with a competitive element through the organisation of tournaments.

The Glasgow Disability Tennis programme was set up in 2013 and has grown substantially and now provides deaf, visually impaired, learning disability and wheelchair tennis sessions. This has been possible by visiting 32 schools and linking with Glasgow Sport and community disability groups.

The group has trained their coaching team through various disability tennis coach education courses, greatly enhancing the quality of the sessions. Participation numbers are continually improving with 6 weekly coaching groups offered all year round. In addition one of the coaches visits the spinal injuries unit every 6 weeks to do taster sessions at the hospital. The programme has recruited new members and benefits from excellent volunteer support through local schools Duke of Edinburgh programmes.

The Glasgow Disability Tennis programme who earlier this year also won the Tennis Scotland Disability Programme of the Year Award continues to encourage more disabled people to play tennis more often whilst engaging with the ongoing Tennis Scotland and Tennis Foundation programmes and campaigns.

Lesley Whitehead who organises and started the programme in 2013 said, “We were really pleased when we were selected by Tennis Scotland to win the Disability Programme of the Year, for us that was a fantastic achievement for all the work we are doing in Glasgow and surrounding areas for people with disabilities. To now find out that we have won the Aegon British Tennis Award for Disability Programme of the Year is just the icing on the cake. We are all proud of what we have achieved, the coaches, the players & their families, everyone, it’s just amazing.”

Doc McKelvey, Head of Tennis Development at Tennis Scotland commented, “This is fantastic news for a worthwhile and deserving project, who do so much to make our sport as inclusive as possible and do such a great job in encouraging more people to play tennis more often.”

The Scottish Disability Sport Athlete Academy is a support structure for talented athletes, who have the potential to progress onto World Class Performance Programmes (WCPP). The Academy offers financial support at an integral stage in the athlete’s development and underpins the sportscotland Institute of Sport (SIS). Furthermore, SDS works in partnership with the SIS and other key partners to develop a programme of workshops and training opportunities in order to best prepare the athletes for when they progress to a UK Sport funded programme.

SDS has a strong working relationship with Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport (SGBs) and we invite nominations from them for our Academy. Athletes are selected based on strict criteria relating to performance levels, attitude to training and commitment to their sport. Each athlete must be eligible to compete for Scotland and have aspirations of reaching podium level for Great Britain.

Over the years the SDS Athlete Academy has grown and this year represents our largest programme to date, supporting 36 athletes across 8 sports. The sports include, archery, athletics, badminton, boccia, cycling, swimming, table tennis and wheelchair basketball. We are also delighted to welcome three cycling pilots onto the programme as we recognise the importance of these individuals in supporting our most promising visually impaired riders.

Gary Fraser, SDS Performance Manager, commented: “It is an exciting time to be involved in performance disability sport, and the standard of athlete that has been selected for the SDS Athlete Academy indicates a promising future for Scottish para athletes competing on the international stage. Last year the programme supported six athletes onto a World Class Performance Programme which demonstrates the significance of support at this stage of the pathway. The programme continues to grow and we thank our SGB partners for their commitment to para sport”.

For a full list of athletes see below and for further information, please contact Gary Fraser on gary.fraser@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Children with disabilities flocked to Tweedbank Leisure Complex from across the region on Wednesday 22nd June for a morning of fun sporting activities.

The annual Disability Regional School Festival gives youngsters a chance to showcase their skills with a view to stepping onto the Para-sport pathway.

Now truly established as a flagship event, 110 children from 17 schools took part, with local clubs, coaches, Sports Development Officers, Active Schools co-ordinators and volunteers running sessions covering a variety of sports.

Alan Oliver, Live Borders Disability Sport Development Officer, believes the festival provides an excellent opportunity for all children to experience a variety of sports and the knowledge of coaches in attendance can adapt the sport to suit different abilities and encourage further participation. This partnership enables further opportunities for children with a disability to go along and participate in local club sessions and develop their sporting ambitions.

In addition to the multi sports event, the inaugural Secondary Schools Athletics Track and Field Pentathlon took place with pupils participating in 60 and 200 metres races, shot putt, javelin and long jump with medals presented to the top three athletes in each discipline. This was the first sport specific event with a competitive element to be included in the festival.

This was a pilot which created huge enthusiasm within schools and again, running it as a regional event, it bodes well for all participating and the possibilities for future representation further afield.

The Festival was sponsored, once again, by Scottish Building Society, ensuring that it remains open to all Borders schools and that adequate provisions are put in place to allow all the children to have a fantastic experience.

Ewan Jackson, Chief Executive of Live Borders said: “The contribution of Scottish Building Society makes the festival one of a kind and enables us to attract experienced coaches and supply specialised equipment so that everyone can take part in some capacity.

“The Disability Regional School Festival is growing year on year and to have so many local organisations and individuals involved is a great testament to the passion for sport here in the Borders.”

Alan Oliver
Sport Development Officer, Live Borders