Tyler McLelland is a young BC4 boccia player from Glenrothes who is being mentored and coached by GB Boccia Paralympian Kieran Steer from Crossgates. They meet every Monday evening at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre for a session supported by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust.
Mum Emma and Dad Mark are fully involved with Tyler’s boccia career and mum has already attended her first boccia leaders course. Together they traveled recently to their first Right on Target competition hosted by Forth Valley Disability Sport and Tyler won his first bronze medal.
Disability Sport Fife (DSF) already has a weekly recreational boccia session session but hopes to build a competition squad around Tyler with input from Kieran and GB Boccia coach Claire Morrison from Dalgety Bay. DSF hopes that Tyler will have the same impact on boccia development as teenager Callum Sloan from Dunfermline has had on wheelchair racing.
Boccia is an indoor court game played by participants who use a manual or power wheelchair. Boccia is a Paralympic sport that originally included players with cerebral palsy only. It now includes all players with severe mobility difficulties including those who are unable to throw and have to use a ramp to propel a boccia ball. You Tube includes lots of top quality boccia play.
DSF is keen to grow its boccia squad and bring this exceptional game to the attention of young players in Fife with severe mobility difficulties who use a power or manual wheelchair. For further information please contact the DSF office.
Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife