The hospitality extended to Disability Sport Fife (DSF) bowlers and support staff at the 2017 DSF Indoor Bowls Championships was as always exceptional. For almost thirty years East Fife Indoor Members have handed over their facilities to DSF to host their annual indoor championships. The 2017 event was arguably the most successful to date. Over five hours of continuous play, almost 50 ties and five singles titles contested for the leading Fife bowlers with a learning disability. A significant number of Fife bowlers are now members of mainstream clubs and this was reflected in the quality of the play.

The men’s open singles involved two of Scotland’s leading bowlers Craig Donaldson from Central Fife CSS and Kinghorn BC and Darryl Stewart from Cowdenbeath BC. As always they produced a closely contested tie with Darryl coming out on top on this occasion by only three shots. The third/fourth place play off involved Robert Anderson from Dovecot BC playing in the open section for the first time and the experienced Gary Handyside from Lumphinnans BC and West Fife CSS. Gary was a convincing winner but there is no doubt Robert’s day will come.

Pamela Mitchell from Headwell BC was in outstanding form in the Ladies open and went on to win every game on her way to the final where she met Wendy Thomson from East Fife CSS and St Andrews BC. In the final she improved still further and ran out a very worthy winner. Wendy was happy with her runner up trophy and Tanis Murphy from East Fife CSS and Windygates BC finished in third place. DSF is keen to attract women bowlers to the programme because the majority of players at the moment are male.

Willie Christie from East Fife CSS and Windygates BC was a worthy winner of the “B” competition with an unbeaten run straight through to the final. Robert McMahon from Central Fife CSS was runner up. Kevin Mustard from Central Fife CSS had a convincing win over Craig Houston from East Fife CSS in the final of the “C” section. Ryan Peterson from East Fife CSS and St Andrews BC defeated David Scott from East Fife CSS to win the “D” category event. This was Ryan’s first indoor title, rounding off an excellent day for the East Fife CSS bowlers.

The team of volunteer markers from bowling clubs in Central Fife worked exceptionally hard all day to deliver a top quality competition. Attention will focus on the month of November when the Fife Carpet Bowls Championships will be held at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre in Glenrothes.

Photos: Finalists in all five categories plus the markers for the finals.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Name: Sarah Ellis

Branch: Angus Disability Sport

Sport: Boccia

Club: Dundee Boccia Club & Tayside Boccia Squad

How did you get involved in your sport? I went to the para-sport festival in Aberdeen in 2016 and really loved the sport so I joined my clubs.

How long have you been playing your sport for? Around 10 months

Biggest Strength (as an athlete): I’m willing to recognise when I’ve made mistakes and learn from them

What’s the best thing about your sport? There is always something new to learn no matter if you’re at training or at competitions. I also love the atmosphere at competitions, the buzz that I feel is amazing!

What equipment do you need to take part in your sport? A set of boccia balls

Greatest sporting achievement: Silver in the junior section at the Lothian Open Boccia Championships

Favourite Para-athlete: Stephen Maguire, boccia player

Favourite athlete to compete against: Dan Bentley. He’s got Paralympic medals in boccia and I’ve learned so much from him.

Any advice for someone interested in your sport? Don’t be scared to come and give it a go! Boccia is a great way to improve your hand/ eye coordination and improve your confidence.

 

Sammi Kinghorn from the Scottish Borders is a double gold medallist from the recent World Para Athletics Championships in London. Sammi and coach Ian Mirfin MBE came across to Fife on Wednesday 6th September to lead a technical and training workshop for the Disability Sport Fife (DSF) wheelchair racing squad.

Sammi is a natural teacher and the Fife squad members are enthusiastic learners. Topics covered included wheelchair set up, positioning, pushing action, starts and bends etc. DSF coaches Pamela Robson, Gayle Sloan and David Brown had many questions and received many valuable responses. The Fife squad is currently preparing for the Scottish Track and Field Championships at Grangemouth in mid September.

Sammi brought along her three World Championships medals and passed them around the athletes and support personnel. The youngest member of the group, Niamh Currie, brought along her photo album that included a photo of Sammi. Not surprisingly the addition of Sammi’s signature added so much to the importance of that album.

Fife wheelchair racing squad members are Susanne McGrath, Callum Sloan, Jonny Brown, Niamh Currie and Graham McIntyre.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Scottish Disability Sport (Central) would like to launch the Regional Disability Events Calendar for the upcoming academic year (August 2017 – 2018).

Cheryl Willet, SDS Central RDM, would like to thank partners from Forth Valley Disability Sport, Clackmannanshire Council, Active Stirling, Falkirk Community Trust, Scottish Swimming, Scottish Athletics, Scottish Boccia and the Scottish Football Association for their ongoing support in collating this robust Calendar for the year ahead.

Please click on links below for information;

• Central Disability Sport Events & Coach Education Calendar (local, regional and national events)
• Sporting Events Descriptor
• Coach Education Descriptor
• FVDS Adult Programme
• GOGA Timetable

For any questions or to find out more information about disability sport in Central Scotland, please contact: Cheryl Willet – cheryl.willet@scottishdisabilitysport.com / Phone: 07577 830360

 

Thursday 31^st August – Sunday 3^rd September saw the School Games take place at Loughborough University. The 2017 School Games, delivered by the Youth Sport Trust (YST), are a major multi-sport event for the most talented young athletes across the UK.

School Games saw Tayside athletes Jack Milne & Ben Leitch represent Scotland at the elite event alongside Tayside referee Carolyn Wilson.

Dundee City Aquatics swimmer, Jack won a gold medal in the 100m fly, silver in the 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 100m backstroke. The Dundee native truly enjoyed his experience in Loughborough.

Dundee Dragons Wheelchair Sports Club wheelchair basketballer, Ben Leitch came home with a bronze medal in the Wheelchair Basketball competition. The Perth local made history as Scotland became the first Celtic nation to win a Wheelchair Basketball medal at School Games.

A huge Tayside congratulations must also go to Carolyn Wilson. Carolyn is a dedicated Wheelchair Basketball referee from Perth & Kinross who was selected to officiate the final of the elite level competition.

If you would like to find out more about sporting opportunities in Tayside, please contact Jennifer Scally at jennifer.scally@scottishdisabilitysport.com

Pictured: Jack Milne, with his silver medal from the 2017 School Games; Ben Leitch highlighting great shooting form whilst representing his country; Carolyn Wilson, pictured left before officiating the Wheelchair Basketball Final at the 2017 School Games.

 

Monday 4th September saw the success of the Central Inclusive Athletics Workshop delivered by Shona Malcolm OBE from scottishathletics and hosted by Falkirk Community Trust at Grangemouth Stadium. 15 enthusiastic coaches, teachers and volunteers from across the Forth Valley area attended the workshop that included topics such as:

• Technical knowledge in working with Race Runners, Wheelchair athletes, Seated Throwers and an introduction to Guided Running
• National and International Classification
• The competition pathways within disability sport

Many thanks to Falkirk Community Trust for hosting the workshop and Scottish Athletics for tutoring the course.

To find out more information about disability sport in Central Scotland, please contact: Cheryl Willet SDS RDM – cheryl.willet@scottishdisabilitysport.com / Phone: 07577 830360

 

Disability Sport Fife coaches Pamela Robson and Gayle Sloan plus support staff were up in Perth this weekend with some of the Fife junior track and field squad for the Perth Open Track and Field Championships.

All athletes medalled but most importantly the coaches paid tribute to the quality of support they displayed towards one another and the respect they demonstrated towards the other competitors.

The Championships were a great success and many thanks to the organisers. There were lots of smiling faces throughout the day and many excellent performances from the Fife youngsters.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Congratulations to S14 swimmer Cerys Venters Scott who recorded a time of 00:17:57 for the half mile course at the Great Scottish Swim in Loch Lomond. This was the first appearance by Cerys in an open water event and surely will not be her last. Despite a rather frantic but typical open water start, out of 350 starters Cerys finished 49th and in the 0-19 age group she was placed 27th.

Cerys and experienced open water swimmer Kirsty Brunton have been training together at Kinghorn Loch. The two Disability Sport Fife swimmers hit it off and the performance by the young Fife teenager is a clear indication of the special relationship. Up until recently Cerys has been coached by Garrie Roberts at Incas but she has now moved to Carnegie SC.

One of the highlights of her first open water swim was meeting Jack Burnell, European Silver medalist and Olympic finalist in the 10K marathon swim.

Loch Lomond was a wonderful experience for this young rising Fife star in S14 junior swimming.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Two years ago Mike and Joan Mowat signed up for a How to Coach Disabled People in Sport Workshop organised by Disability Sport Fife.  Since then so much has happened at Dovecot Bowling Club in Glenrothes. Club members have embraced the ethos of inclusive bowls totally and a small but hugely enthusiastic group of bowlers has taken to the sport and are now fully committed to the club programme of coaching, training and competition.

Thanks to a start up bursary form the Association of Rotary Clubs Fife, Disability Sport Fife (DSF) was able to invest in equipment and clothing. The Dovecot Club offered reduced fees and DSF was able to offer financial support to assist with club memberships. The programme was launched very quickly and has now gone from strength to strength.

Initially the development centered on specific coach led sessions but has now moved to full club engagement. DSF members have played in the club open pairs competition and I learned recently that one DSF member Sandy Allan is featuring in a friendly with Kingskettle Bowling Club. DSF member Allan Robertson is scheduled to play in a friendly later in the month.

DSF member Robert Anderson played in the semi final of Dovecot Park Bowling Club’s Novice Trophy. Robert lost the first 12 shots in a first to 21 game before he overcame his nervousness. The score went to 18 all before Robert won 21 to 18. The gallery of club members was very impressed with how the players have progressed. Driving force Mike Mowat is paired with Robert and DSF members Sandy Allan and Stephen Anderson are paired together for the club Open Pairs Competition.

Well done to Dovecot Bowling Club members who have embraced this bowls development project so enthusiastically. Robert Anderson, Stephen Anderson, Adam Faulds, Briony Clark, Sandy Allan, Allan Robertson, and Mandy Robertson have been welcomed, encouraged and supported throughout their time as members of the Dovecot Club. The success has been the enthusiasm of the club members to make this project a success and DSF plans to introduce more new members in the weeks and months ahead.

The DSF members of Dovecot Bowling Club head to Aberhill Bowling Club in Methil for the 2017 Fife Indoor Championships for placers with a learning disability early in September. The Aberhill club is similarly inclusive in ethos and action and has hosted the Disability Sport Fife Indoor Championships for almost 30 years.

Photo: Robert Anderson, Mike Mowat, Sandy Allan and Stephen Anderson

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

The outcomes from commitment to para sport extend far beyond the winning of medals and training day after day with target times and specific championships in mind. Nothing epitomises this more than the relationship that has developed between two INCAS swimmers Kirsty Brunton and Cerys Venters Scott.

Kirsty is a very keen and experienced open water swimmer and recently came out on top at the Scottish Swimming Open Water Championships. Kirsty is also a very keen sailor and over many years has coached novice learners at her club in Dalgety Bay.

More recently Kirsty has taken the ever improving young S14 swimmer Cerys Venters Scott under her wing at the Kinghorn Loch and introduced her to the open water version of aquatic training. Cerys and Kirsty are training together for the Great Scottish Swim, a first Open Water experience for the younger extremely talented Disability Sport Fife (DSF) member.

Cerys has a great future ahead in para swimming and DSF has recently learned that she has moved from INCAS to Carnegie SC to further her competitive swimming career. The role played by sport in promoting friendships, new challenges, new experiences and fun can never be over-estimated. It takes a very special person like team mate Kirsty however to access the full range of benefits. Well done Kirsty and Cerys….rather you than me.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife