Category: A News

Fife athlete making the most of his home environment

Staying home and staying active is the key message of the moment. The Taylor family has adapted the side entry point to their home to create a perfect training environmenet for Carter. This is a time for creative thinking and this a perfect example of what can be achieved with a little bit of quality home DIY.

Strength and conditioning training is so important to Carter as a top classs water skier, swimmer and athlete and this is clearly evident by his upper body definition. Carter has his own indoor gym thanks to generous support from friends. The pull ups bar is a brilliant addition to the training stations he now has available at home.

Thanks for sharing Taylor family and well done Carter.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

A Message from the Goalball Family to the World

Firstly, a massive thank you to two of Winchester Goalball Club’s finest, Geoff Harmer, for putting this brilliant video together, and Adam Knott, for playing the music for the Goalball Family to ‘sing’ along to.

We hope that you all enjoyed watching the Goalball Family version of Three Little Birds as much as we did making it.

We wanted to share something that was fun and a little bit silly, but also has positivity and togetherness in abundance. The lyrics to this song offer us all a message of hope that we can get through this together, as well as the motivation to come out the other side to the best of our ability.

Please keep reaching out to us via the usual channels and sharing what you have been getting up to. We hope that everyone is staying safe. http://goalballuk.com/

 

Online Coach Workshops

During lockdown, SDS is providing the opportunity for coaches to explore different concepts in short segments online.

The session themes have been selected to meet requests from coaches over the past year. There is no cost for these sessions – apart from your time.

If you are unable to attend on the specified dates and times, the content will be available to stream after each session.

You can register on the form below, or for more information please contact us on 0131 317 1130 or admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

Inclusion Activity Cards

Do you need new ideas to continue being active, or would you like to know where to start? We have produced these activity cards which will are now available to download from our website here.

The cards were originally aimed at people leading sessions but also work brilliantly for us all in our homes. There are a number of activities which could be used:

  • in a warm-up;
  • to introduce fundamental skills;
  • for striking and fielding type activities and games;
  • for net, court and wall-based games; and
  • for invasion games.

Each card identifies the different ways in which the STEP – Space, Task, Equipment, People – principle can be applied to modifying, adapting and progressing a session, and provides specific top tips relating to the effective inclusion of participants with impairments.

The STEP Principle video provides more information:

The Activity Inclusion Model video highlights inclusion in physical activity and sport:

You can download the PDF here: STEP and AIM

Over the next few weeks we will show how we have adapted the activities to do at home. For example:

  • Use socks instead of ball
  • Use a ribbon or old shirt for a target.

The most important thing is to have fun, fun and more fun!

Reason to be cheerful for Disability Sport Fife

To day I am delighted to report that we now have over 6,000 Facebook followers. Prior to lock down the 2020 Annual Awards and AGM of DSF (SCIO) was set for Monday 27th April. Not surprisingly it has been postponed but I had set a target of trying to attract 6,000 followers by the date of the AGM. Thanks to your support and feedback we have hit the target and I thank you most sincerely for your loyalty. We are still pursuing 6,000 “likes” but we require another 100 visitors to click the “like” button before we can have a double celebration.

I am pleased that we are followed by visitors from all over the world. It is particularly pleasing when participants, support staff and volunteers who have moved on return to pass comment on a particular article. To days article on the 2009 Games has brought a lot of retired Fife Council staff, athletes and volunteers back in touch. Facebook is the main communication platform for Disability Sport Fife and during lock down it has become even more influential and important.

My mission is to try and keep the Facebook page fresh. More recently I have been featuring junior members, DSF coaches, DSF volunteers and great occasions from the past that have influenced our movement. I obviously report news and highlight ways in which our members are active at home. I share news and activities from other areas and organisations and highlight opportunities for our participants and volunteers to be active at home. Fife Sports and Leisure Trust gym staff and others have been particularly active along with DSF coach Pamela Robson plus son Olly. Pamela is also providing zoom sessions for our younger members. It is hugely important that our members and friends try to remain active at home during lock down.

Once again thank you for your support. Please share details about our page with your friends and families. If you can afford the time there is a section on the page that offers you the opportunity for feedback. Stay home and stay safe. The family will be together again soon.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

Para badminton role model retains Fife title

Mary Wilson lives in Edinburgh but for a period lived in Fife and during that time she became member of Disability Sport Fife. Mary has never lost her affection for DSF and over the years has competed in the Fife Track and Field Championships, Fife Lawn Bowls Championships, Fife Swimming Championships and Fife Badminton Championships.

Mary is an all rounder but her first love is Para badminton and over the past five years or so she has committed fully to trying to secure a place in Team GB for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Mary has travelled extensively to international Para badminton events to gain experience and ranking points. Mary has fund raised vigorously to enable this to happen and I am sure would be the first to say thank you to the many individuals and organisations that have helped her along the way.

Disability Sport Fife considers Mary a perfect role model for women’s sport and consequently values her presence at any event she is available to enter. Her positive influence on DSF members on the court or field of play is of the highest order. Not only is Mary an exceptional sportswoman but the manner in which she conducts herself rubs off on all our other sportswomen in particular.

Mary is captured in this photo receiving the Fife Ladies Open badminton trophy from guest of honour Julie Hogg, at the 2020 Fife Badminton Championships held at Kirkcaldy Leisure Centre.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

Congratulations to GASC coach

Disability Sport Fife was pleased to see retired Fife Council teacher Helen McKay being recognised for her volunteering work as a teacher and coach with Glenrothes Amateur Swimming Club.

The occasion was the Kirkcaldy & Central Fife Sports Council annual awards at Fife College earlier in the year. Helen is a very popular and highly valued member of the GASC team and it came as no surprise she was recognised on the night. Helen is inclusive in ethos and practice and DSF members who are members of GASC have benefitted from her support and experience.

There was a period when Helen was part of the Disability Sport Fife swim coaching team offering support for adult improvers at Cupar Swimming Pool. Responsibilities with GASC increased and understandably Helen had to leave the DSF team but her influence at the time was very significant.

I captured Helen on the night in this photo with Paul Noble MBE, Treasurer and Trustee of Disability Sport Fife (SCIO). Congratulations Helen.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

Fife AC a very special DSF partner club

Disability Sport Fife enjoys special relationships with mainstream sports clubs across Fife. There are partners that have been with us since DSF was established back in 1977 and one of those is Fife Athletic Club.

The attached photo is of the officials who turned out in significant numbers to support the third leg of the four rounds of the East Series Cross Country organised by Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport. The third leg is organised in Fife on behalf of SA and SDS by Disability Sport Fife and Fife AC. The organisers are also indebted to Kirkcaldy Rugby Club and Fife Council for facility support.

Steve Doig is the Fife AC contact for the two cross country events organised in Fife for athletes with additional support needs. The Fife Championships are scheduled for May but have been postponed. The Fife leg of the East Series was the only one to go ahead because of inclement weather. DSF was delighted with the turn out at the East Series event and with the GOGA in Fife walk in the park supported by Spirit of 2012 which has become a feature of cross country events in Fife.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

Beveridge Park BC refurbishment making great progress

Last week I posted an article about progress with the refurbishment of the Beveridge Park Bowling Club. Some more photos have been brought to my attention that offer a clearer picture of the significant changes that will be offered for bowlers with mobility difficulties. The club is looking really good already.

Committee members have been unbelievably active and successful in securing grants and financial support for the project and the end product will be very special. Improved access for bowlers with mobility difficulties has been a major consideration in their planning.

Andy Mathieson from the club is a most valued Disability Sport Fife multi sports volunteer and he has kindly kept us up to date on progress. Math Thomson has been the DSF bowls coordinator for many years and he ensures we always have enough markers for all DSF tournaments and championships.

The Beveridge Park Bowling Club members have hosted the DSF Lawn Bowls Championships for almost 30 years and provided officials for DSF indoor, lawn and carpet bowls championships for the same period. The club also hosted the Bowls Test match between Scotland and England in 2009. DSF considers the club one of its longest serving partners.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustee

SDS Welcomes Phillippa MacDonald

SDS is delighted to welcome Phillippa MacDonald to the SDS team in her new post as Tayside Get Out Get Active (GOGA) Manager. Phillippa lives in Dundee, and joins SDS from her previous role as Health & Wellbeing Worker within NHS Tayside. She has also previously worked for Barnardo’s and Dundee City Council.

Phillippa will drive forward the GOGA Tayside health based programme that supports disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy being active together. The Spirit of 2012 and London Marathon Charitable Trust funded programme is being run in close partnership with NHS Tayside and will work through encouraging and supporting the very least active disabled and non-disabled people to be active together. Support will also be available enhance physical recreation opportunities and to provide training for key volunteers and staff.

We all wish Phillippa every success in her new position and look forward to the roll out of the GOGA programme across Tayside.