Disability Sport Fife (DSF) considers Badminton Scotland a major Scottish Governing Body partner in the delivery of quality sports experiences for junior participants with additional support needs. With support from the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, Active Schools,  Glenrothes HS Sports Leaders and Jane Russell from Badminton Scotland a very successful Badminton Festival was held at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre. The Festival was held to raise awareness of the World Badminton Championships that will be held in Glasgow in August 2017.

Pupils from Balwearie HS and Lochgelly HS signed up for the Festival. A full two hour programme of badminton skills and activities coordinated by Jane and delivered by the young Glenrothes HS Sports Leaders was enjoyed by all the Festival participants. Activities were varied and maintained participant interest for the duration of the Festival. The final session of the Festival involved match play with Sports Leaders fully involved as umpires.

Badminton is a priority sport for Disability Sport Fife and its many members. The original inspiration was the late Russell Hogg from Badminton Scotland and Scottish Disability Sport. Jane Russell has sustained the promotion of the sport with workshops for coaches and Festivals for participants. DSF coaches Alex Bird and Julie Hogg lead evening and afternoon sessions in Glenrothes and Cowdenbeath for players with additional support needs and the DSF Badminton Championships attract an entry now of almost 60 players. Badminton in Fife has never been more popular.

The Festival ended with the presentation of achievement certificates to participants and sports leaders. The 2017 World Championships were the catalyst for the Festival but there is no doubt that the enthusiasm of the GHS Sports Leaders and the quality of their coaching inspired the participant pupils. Well done to the pupils and staff from the three participating Fife High Schools.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Scotland West Special Olympics Basketball Team won the GB Special Olympics 2016 National Basketball Championships at the National Basketball Performance Centre, Manchester.

Scotland West entered a mixed team comprising of 7 males and 3 females from the Glasgow Eagles disability squad coached by Alistair Cameron and Justine Kerr supported by Head coach Willie Cameron and Head of delegation Gordon McCormack.

Scotland West won every one of their 9 games and beating Northern Region 30-7 in the final to lift the championship proving yet again they are the best Special Olympics basketball team in Britain.

Such was the success at Manchester Scotland West will enter 2 teams in the Special Olympics GB Summer games at Sheffield in 2017.

Visibility’s Children and Families Project –Christmas Fun Day for children 5 – 12 years old.

On Sunday 11th December from 1 – 3pm we will be having our Christmas Fun Day at Bearsden Ski Slopes, The Mound, Stockiemuir Rd, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 3RS

On the day we will take part in a Tubing session where we will have fun going down the slope on a rubber tube followed by some food and Party Games.

Please wrap up warm on the day and wear waterproof outer clothing and bring gloves,   Helmets will be provided.

Places for this event are limited so booking is essential.

If you would like to join us on the day please get in touch by calling Clare Sweeney on 0141 332 4632 or emailing Clare.Sweeney@visibility.org.uk.

We look forward to seeing you all on the day.

Disability Sport Fife (DSF) is committed to encouraging para athletes to become involved in teaching and coaching particularly after they have retired from competitive sport. Who better to inspire, encourage and retain members within our movement than those who have enjoyed the benefits of sports participation and want others to share similar experiences.

Lucy Walkup represented Great Britain at two Deaflympics and numerous other World and European Championships. Lucy retired from performance swimming and is now a student at the University of Stirling and coaching and teaching in the Stirling area. Craig Smith from FINS was a very promising competitive physically disabled swimmer but has taken time out from training to concentrate on his studies and his future career. Like Lucy, Craig now has a Level 1 swimming award and has signed up to the sportscotland/ Scottish Disability Sport inclusive coach programme. Both Lucy and Craig are being supported through their early months as coaches/teachers/volunteers and are benefiting from the experience.

DSF has encouraged a number of present athletes to train as volunteer support coaches and their contribution to the DSF weekly programme of sports activity sessions is very significant. Steven Anderson, Adam Faulds, Briony Clark and Ryan Spearman for example support DSF weekly multi sports sessions and bowls, boccia, racquet sports and run, jump and throws specifically. Their regular contribution has enhanced greatly the learning experience of children, young people and adults with physical, sensory or learning disabilities.

Paralympian Kieran Steer was a member of Team GB at the Games in Rio earlier this year. Kieran is a world class boccia player and has already considered coaching as a career by attending a UKCC Level 1 Boccia course. Kieran jumped at the chance offered by DSF to work with novice player Tyler McLelland from Glenrothes . The pair met for the first time at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre and hit it off immediately. Sessions are supported by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust plus DSF and on the first week coach Claire Morrison attended to offer advice and direction. Kieran and Tyler are booked to work together every Monday up until Christmas.

As with any aspiring young athlete, supportive parents are critical and Tyler has a very enthusiastic family behind him. 10 year old Tyler is also attending the DSF run, jump and throws sessions at Pitreavie Stadium where he has made a major impact with coaches in only a couple of weeks. Tyler now has a set of DSF practice boccia balls and a huge desire to develop his skills as a boccia player and athlete. With Kieran and the other DSF coaches behind him all the way Tyler will undoubtedly make steady progress.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

Disability Sport Fife has teamed up with the well established and highly respected “Bums off Seats” programme to introduce health walks to participants of all ages and abilities with a physical, sensory or learning disability. DSF hopes to encourage member organisations and individual athletes to take advantage of Bums off Seats local health walks that are currently available across Fife to all sections of the community.

This initiative is part of the Get Out and Get Active (GOGA) programme which DSF has signed up to with support from Scottish Disability Sport and Spirit of 2012. In stage one of the initiative, Bums off Seats Programme Coordinator Vivienne McNiven tutored a Volunteer Walk Leaders Training Course in Glenrothes to establish a group of local people/significant others trained to promote and lead health walks on an ongoing basis.

A health walk is a short, local walk usually lasting between 30 and 60 minutes and ½ to 2½ miles long. 12 newly trained walk leaders from schools, Central Fife CSS, Fife College and University of St Andrews etc. will join a network of over 6000 volunteers throughout the UK. The training is recognised by the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health.

Photo: Vivienne McNiven with the new Walk Leaders who will work with DSF members and others.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife

At this time of the year a significant number of Disability Sport Fife (DSF) members turn their attention to cross country. Fife secondary schools with Departments for pupils with additional support needs prepare enthusiastically for the autumn, winter and spring programme of cross country events organised by DSF, Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport. Races are held in Fife, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Fife Athletic Club athletes Owen Miller and Sam Fernando first came to the attention of DSF as members of their school cross country teams and the strong Fife track and field teams of recent years have developed from cross country successes.

The East Series 1 cross country was held early in November at Peffermill. 36 junior athletes from Bell Baxter HS, Woodmill HS, Balwearie HS, and Lochgelly HS competed in separate boys and girls races over 1K, 2K and 3K. Fife athletes recorded eleven year group first places.

Arran Howe (S4) from Bell Baxter HS had the fastest 1K time of the day of 4.40, following in the footsteps of ex Bell Baxter HS pupil Sam Fernando who currently leads the UK junior rankings. Over the same distance Fife produced the following year group winners: Nathan Smith (S1) Woodmill HS, Edwin Barron (S2) Woodmill HS, Connor Brown (S3) Woodmill HS and Reece Dickson (S5) Balwearie HS.

Sophie Coughlin (S1) from Bell Baxter HS returned the second fastest IK time for girls in Series 1 of 6.37 and Megan Wilson (S3) Woodmill HS and Chloe Ramsay (S2) Lochgelly HS were individual IK year group winners. Michelle Harley (S4) Lochgelly HS was the fastest girl over 2K in East Series 1 and Matthew Blair (S5) Woodmill HS was the second fastest boy and year group winner.

The 3K races are reserved for the leading junior athletes and Casey Donaldson (S4) Woodmill HS recorded the fastest Series 1 time of 16.53. Brandon Eason (S6) Balwearie HS was second fastest in 18.26 to round off another very successful East Series Cross Country event for Fife schools.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife