Category: A News

Swim IT coach claims prestigious West Lothian award

Swim IT Head Coach, Fiona Donald claimed the top coaching award at the recent West Lothian Celebrating Sport Awards. The annual awards ceremony took place at Linlithgow Burgh Halls on Thursday 28th November recognising the considerable achievements of athletes, coaches and volunteers from across the local authority.

The last 18 months has seen Swim IT welcome several para swimmers into the club, supporting many individuals with technique & stroke development and ultimately helping reach personal best times in the swimming pool. In addition to working closely and tailoring sessions to meet the specific needs of her club’s swimmers, Donald also coaches at the East Regional Disability Squad once per month allowing her to pass on her knowledge and ideas to swimmers from across the region.

Swim IT and Lothian Disability Sport are working closely to develop a specific session for swimmers with a disability, aiming to improve stroke technique and confidence before supporting them into the mainstream programme at the club. This development work highlights the commitment to provide further disability swimming opportunities across Lothian and in particular West Lothian.

Fiona is pictured here receiving her award from Culture and Sport Manager Alan Colquhoun.

Additionally, disability multi sports club No Limits were unfortunate to miss out on the Club of the Year Award after being shortlisted to the final three.

If you would like to find out more about disability swimming opportunities in the East of Scotland, please contact Scottish Disability Sport Regional Manager (East) Neal Herbert on 0770 939 3514 or admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

East Lothian Tennis Star records a couple of Aces

North Berwick based youngster Luke Turnbull recorded some excellent results at the recent National Learning Disability Tennis Championships, taking place in Sunderland over the weekend of 23rd / 24th November. The championships, held at Silksworth Tennis Centre, welcomed the nation’s leading tennis players with an intellectual impairment.

16-year-old Turnbull showed grit and determination over the weekend to record a win in the doubles and second place finish in the singles. This result highlights Turnbull’s motivation to progress in the sport after narrowly missing out on a place at the recent INAS Global Games, held in Brisbane, Australia between 12th and 19th October.

Turnbull, a member at North Berwick and St Serfs Tennis Clubs, lost out to world ranked number 1 Dominic Iannotti in the final of the singles whilst defeating world number 4 Ollie Beadle at the semi final stage of the competition. Turnbull and Beadle teamed up in the doubles to record a first place finish and secure the gold medal.

Turnbull is working hard to bridge the gap to the world’s top tennis players with a learning disability and has recently received funding support to increase his training volume, working closely with coach Neil Harden. Find out more about Luke here – https://www.tennisfoundation.org.uk/player-profiles/luke-turnbull/

Success at Edinburgh Uni Low Intensity Inclusion Taster

Members of Edinburgh University Volleyball Club were the key drivers at the recently delivered Low Intensity Inclusion Taster (LIIT), an event aiming to encourage individuals from the university and local community to come along and try a range of fully inclusive activities.  The session, which was supported by several partners, also raised awareness of sport and the accessibility within the university.

The successful event was delivered at The Pleasance Sports Complex, Edinburgh University on Sunday 24th November providing the opportunity for 15 students and members of the local community to try sports & activities such as boccia, sitting volleyball and sitting netball.  The event organisers, Adel Novotna and Elise Christensen, were keen to ensure the day was not only targeting existing athletes but also members of the university and community who were not currently engaging with sport or physical activity opportunities, including individuals with a disability.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), Scottish Volleyball, Scottish Student Sport (SSS) and the Edinburgh University Sports Union (EUSU) were able to support with promotion and delivery on the day, providing a great opportunity to build relationships with the university clubs who are enthusiastic about creating a more inclusive environment within university sports clubs.

Adel and Elise, who are Inclusion Officers within the University Volleyball Club are keen to build on this great piece of work through the delivery of a larger event next year which will aim to engage with other universities across Edinburgh.

This opportunity captured the amount of work being undertaken by EUSU Clubs, many of whom are actively trying to create a more inclusive environment for students and encourage them to become involved with university sport.  This development work was highlighted at the recent UK Disability Inclusion Training (UKDIT) with 9 sports clubs represented at the 6-hour course which provides the tools to support and include individuals with a disability in a sport / physical activity setting.

For more information on this event or inclusive opportunities across the university / local community, please contact SDS Regional Manager (East) Neal Herbert on 07709393514 or neal.herbert@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

2019 Fife Carpet Bowls Championships

70 junior and senior bowlers from throughout Fife contested 12 singles titles at the 2019 Disability Sport Fife Carpet Bowls Championships held at the Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre and supported by Fife Sports and Leisure Trust on Wednesday 20th November.

Volunteer markers from bowls clubs in central Fife officiated at 89 singles ties. Many thanks to officials coordinators Math Thomson and Andy Mathieson from Beveridge Park Bowling Club and 14 other ladies and gents who gave up their day to ensure that the players received the highest standards of officiating. Math Thomson presented the trophies to the winners at the conclusion of the tournament.

From the results Disability Sport Fife will select the Fife team to represent Team Fife at the SDS National Carpet Bowls Championships to be held at DISC in Dundee on Saturday February 1st.

There were junior players from Lochgelly HS and Glenrothes HS. Both schools got together for training in the lead up to the event and plan to repeat this arrangement from here on. Inclusive bowling clubs Dovecot Park Bowling Club in Glenrothes and Headwell B.C in Dunfermline, that benefitted from GOGA investment in Fife from Spirit of 2012 were well represented on the day. As always there was strong representation from individual bowlers and players from Community Support Services in East, West and Central Fife.

Results

Wheelchair bowlers
Winner – Willie Harrison Central Fife CSS
Runner up – Jim Donaldson Central Fife CSS

Ambulant bowlers with a physical impairment
Winner – Billy Allan – Cowdenbeath BC
Runner up – Glen Livingston

Physically and Visually impaired bowlers – restricted
Winner – Kenny Dow – Central Fife CSS
Runner up – Eleanor Clark – Fair Isle BC

Bowlers with a learning disability – Men A section
Winner – Robert Anderson – Dovecot BC
Runner up – Steven Anderson – Dovecot BC

Bowlers with a learning disability – Men B section
Winner – Jimmy Ramsay – East Fife CSS
Runner up – George Goodsir – East Fife CSS

Bowlers with a learning disability – Men C section
Winner – Robert McMahon – Central Fife CSS
Runner up – Robert Morrison – Headwell BC

Bowlers with a learning disability – Men D section
Winner – David Scott – Leven
Runner up – Aaron Kean – Headwell BC

Bowlers with a learning disability – Ladies A section
Winner – Michelle Wallace – Central Fife CSS
Runner up – Julie Allan – East Fife CSS/Windygates BC

Bowlers with a learning disability – Ladies B section
Winner – Roberta Buchan – Central Fife CSS
Runner up – Danielle Osborne – Headwell BC

Bowlers with a learning disability

Junior boys with a physical impairment
Winner – Liam Bradbury – Glenrothes HS
Runner up – Josh Panes – Lochgelly HS

Boys S1/S2 with a learning disability
Winner – Lee Mackie Lochgelly HS
Runner up – Olek Kobel – Lochgelly HS

Junior boys and girls S3/S4/S5 with a learning disability
Winner – Logan Anderson – Lochgelly HS
Runner up – Christopher Trowell – Glenrothes HS

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

 

Four Para Athletes Inducted into Hall of Fame

The scottishathletics Hall of Fame was established some years ago to recognise excellence in the sport of athletics. The initial inductees were great athletes like Eric Liddell, Liz McColgan and Alan Wells. Last year fifteen new athletes were added and this year the first four para athletes were inducted at the scottishathletics and jogscotland FPSG Annual Awards Dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.

In the 70s and early 80s, Barbara Howie from Lothian was Scotland’s first wheelchair athlete to excel on the world stage. Barbara was a multi medallist at the Paralympic Games in West Germany in 1972, Toronto in 1976 and the Netherlands in 1980. Barbara was a champion before the new technologies revolutionised racing wheelchairs. Barbara committed many years to athletics in Scotland as an official.

Colin Keay from Kirkcaldy was the first Disability Sport Fife member to be linked with the Fife AC coaching team. Colin has cerebral palsy and a significant number of secondary conditions but that did not deter him from becoming the outstanding T36 athlete of his generation. During the 80s Colin reigned supreme on the track and in cross country. At the Paralympic Games in New York in 1984 and Seoul in 1988 Colin won five gold and one silver medal.

Caroline Baird MBE from Cupar was a member of Disability Sport Fife and introduced to the Fife AC coaching team. Caroline has cerebral palsy, excelled under coach John Oulton and throughout the 90s was the world’s outstanding T36 sprinter. Caroline won five medals at the Paralympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000. At the IPC World Championships in Birmingham and Berlin she won double gold. Caroline was awarded the George Dallas Trust Award in 2000.

Stephen Payton from West Lothian arrived on the international scene at the IPC World Championships in Berlin in 1994 and remained at the top until the Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008. Stephen was a multi medallist at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 and all European and World Championships in intervening years. Stephen has cerebral palsy and competed in T38 class.

These four athletes paved the way for all that has happened in para track and field up to and including the Paralympic Games in Rio. During their lifetimes they were the Scottish and British athletes to beat at every IPC or CPISRA major championships. I am certain that each one will feel massively honoured to be included in such an iconic Hall of Fame alongside so many world renowned athletes. On the night they certainly articulated their overwhelming appreciation.

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

Best wishes and thank you Barry – welcome Gregor

Disability Sport Fife values the very special relationship it enjoys with Glenrothes Strollers Football Club. DSF refers interested adults to the football club that is located directly across from the DSF office in the Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre. Working with DSF and GOGA in Fife, the Strollers have set up a junior session on Tuesday evenings with support from Fife Sports and Leisure Trust. The partnership has never been stronger.

Until very recently Barry Christie has been the DSF contact coach at Glenrothes Strollers. Barry has recently moved on and DSF would like to pay tribute to all the excellent work he has done in strengthening the partnership and moving Para football forward considerably. Thank you for your friendship, support, expertise and passion for football. We congratulate you on your efforts in growing the club and all recent successes in all competitions. We shall miss you Barry.

As we say farewell to Barry and pay tribute to his achievements we welcome new Para football coach Gregor Rodger. I have already had a very useful meeting with Gregor and I am confident our respective organisations will move forward together in promoting community inclusive Para football. All the very best Gregor in your new post.

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

Boccia UKCC Level 1 Opportunity

An exciting coaching opportunity is coming to Edinburgh. Are you interested or currently active in coaching boccia? Well this coaching qualification is for you!

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) are the governing body for the sport of boccia and will be delivering a UKCC Level 1 course over the weekend of 25th and 26th January at Gracemount Leisure Centre, Edinburgh.

The course will provide the knowledge and expertise required to coach players of all ages and abilities in the sport. The workshop outcomes are listed below –

  • Planning and preparation
  • Effective communication and demonstration skills
  • How to give appropriate and constructive feedback
  • Evaluating activities
  • Understanding of boccia and coaching principles

The cost of the course is £250, however a subsidy of £75 is available via sportscotland. Please get in touch for more details about this. Please find the flyer attached for the upcoming Boccia UKCC Level 1 course.

To register your interest / book a place on the course, please contact Scottish Disability Sport on 0131 317 1130 or admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

UKCC Level 1 January 2020

YPSP: Caitlyn Ross – My Amazing Journey this Season

Where do I start: this year has been amazing and went so quickly – like who can believe it’s November already! Now, people say new years are about trying new things and exploring new opportunities. I have definitely done that this year. First of all I have joined the Young Start programme and have done courses with them that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do anywhere else and will hopefully be a qualified swimming teaching and athletics level 1 coach and also an athletics assistant official by the end of the year or start of next year. I also will be doing my lifeguard award around Easter time next year.

I have also begun my journey with the Law Enforcement Torch Run to help raise awareness and money for the Special Olympics which has opened a lot of opportunities for me as I have gone into the police academy and made my first ever attempt at public speaking, where I spoke about Myself and My Special Olympic Journey. I have also joined them on Torch Runs at events like the Special Olympics 40th Anniversary Games in Stirling in 2018, Forth Valley Flyers Athletics Championships this year and also Scottish Disability Sports Senior Athletics Championships this year. This has been an amazing experience so far and have met some amazing people that I hope to continue to work with and support them as much as I can. I would also like to thank them for the support they have given me too.  Also you can show your support and keep updated on what they are doing through their Facebook page Law Enforcement Torch Run – Scotland.

On the 23rd October SDS held another very successful Central Para Sport Festival, where everyone there got involved and tried a mixture of different sports. These sports were athletics, badminton, boccia, climbing, curling, football and power chair football, sailing and swimming. Also to finish off the Festival we had an athlete Q&A with our amazing wheelchair curling and wheelchair racer athletes Robert McPherson and Meggan Dawson Farrell as they told us about themselves and what their sporting journeys have been like so far and where they want them to go.

After the success of this event we have had participants from the Central Para Sport Festival join clubs of the sport they enjoyed and wanted to do more of. This makes all the hard work that SDS put in to run this event every year worth doing as we get more children and young people into sport that they might not get to do anywhere else. For any more information on this event check the article write-up on the SDS web page.

On the 24th October Forth Valley Disability Sport and Go Out Get Active held an Adult Multi-Sport to help celebrate 3 years of GOGA. This was also a huge success with everyone there getting to try some new sports as well as some of the original sports we provide at FVDS. The sports they got to try were Soft Tip Archery, Athletics, Boccia, Boxing, Table Cricket, Quick Curling, and MATP (Motor Activity Training Program). It was an amazing event where everyone taking part loved it and had loads of fun trying all these sports and loads of laughs were shared as they went round all the activities.

sportscotland Coaching, Officiating and Volunteering Awards 2019

What a night of celebration for SDS at the sportscotland Coaching, Officiating and Volunteering Awards 2019, held in the splendid surroundings of Glasgow City Chambers.

SDS won the Transforming Coaching Award for it leadership and mentoring programme, Young Start, which supports young athletes in their coaching journey. 80% of the young people taking part in the programme have gained qualifications. Exciting news is that SDS is now a finalist at the UK Coaching Awards on 5 December in London – #ukcoachingawards. Well done to all the young people who are now coaching sessions.

It is wonderful to note that the Disability Coach of the Year has been named the Janice Eaglesham Disability Coach of the Year and was won by Majella Kerr for her multi-sport work with participants on the autism spectrum.

And last but not least, Jack Calder (swimming) posthumously won the Lifetime Achievement Award – Volunteering.

Many thanks to sportscotland for an outstanding evening recognising so many volunteers, officials and coaches.

GOGA in Fife DIT for coaches and volunteers

Sixteen GOGA in Fife volunteers and peer mentor volunteers attended a Scottish Disability Sport, Disability Inclusion Training (DIT) coaching and volunteers course at the Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre on Monday 18th November. This was the first of several that will be organised throughout 2020 and 2021 for new and potential DSF volunteers and coaches.

The course was tutored by Richard Brickley and Pamela Robson and supported by Spirit of 2012 through Get Out Get Active (GOGA). This was the last of many GOGA in Fife training opportunities that have been held for coaches and volunteers within inclusive clubs and the local authority since GOGA in Fife was launched almost three years ago.

The GOGA in Fife team strongly believe that changing activity behaviours will only happen if the GOGA in Fife coaching and volunteering team is supported by quality, relevant and regular training. Spirit of 2012 through GOGA has made this possible and there is a commitment to ensure training continues throughout 2020 and beyond. Scottish Disability Sport and other partners are making this possible by offering funding for new courses in 2020.

The programme for this most recent course was determined by the participants and covered the DIT principles of adopting a functional approach, relevant communication styles and the principles of STEP. The whole course was practical and covered warm up, carpet bowls, run, jump and throws, boccia, team games etc. The full three hours were fun, appropriate and engaging. GOGA in Fife volunteers and peer mentor volunteers committed fully to the learning experience and feedback was positive.

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