Following the successful Fife Carpet Bowls Championships at the Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre , Disability Sport Fife selected the following team for the Scottish Carpet Bowls Championships to be held at Dundee International Sports Complex in Dundee on Saturday 2nd February.

Jim Donaldson – Central Fife CSS; Willie Harrison – Central Fife CSS; Theresa Wyse – Central Fife CSS
Billy Allan – Cowdenbeath BC; Glen Livingston – Abbeyview BC; Maria Spencer – Abbeyview BC
Kenny Dow – Central Fife CSS; Neil Laughlin – Central Fife CSS; Eleanor Clark – Central Fife CSS
Craig Donaldson – Central Fife CSS; Jimmy Ramsay – East Fife CSS; Robert Anderson – Dovecot BC
Steven Anderson – Dovecot BC
Nikki Baxter – West Fife CSS; Tanis Murphy – East Fife CSS; Michelle Wallace – Central Fife CSS
Wendy Thomson – East Fife CSS. Reserves: Julie Allan East Fife CSS and Kevin Mustard Central
Fife CSS

As we wish Team Fife bowlers all the very best for the first national championships of 2019, it is perhaps appropriate to reflect on all that happened in 2018 with Fife bowlers at local national, and international level. Following the outstanding results of Fife bowlers at the 2017 Carpet Bowls Championships at DISC in Dundee, team manager John Collins and Fife support staff had high hopes of something similar in 2018. However it was surprisingly left to Kenny Dow from Central Fife CSS to bring back the only national title and the ever reliable Billy Allan to collect silver in the men’s open category for ambulant physically disabled bowlers. Not the best of starts to the bowling year. There was however a massive turn around in fortune at the Scottish Disability Sport Lawn Bowls Championships at the Westburn Park in Aberdeen in  September. Newcomer Glen Livingston from Abbeyview BC defeated team mate and Commonwealth Games representative Michael Simpson from Strathmiglo BC in the final in his first year as a DSF member and his first involvement in the national championships. World champion Maria Spencer from Abbeyview BC defeated Barbara McMillan Kelty BC in the equivalent women’s section. Eleanor Clark was the final title winner in the section for totally blind bowlers. Willie Harrison from Central Fife CSS recorded his best result for many years when he finished runner up in the section for wheelchair bowlers.

The best results of the year were recorded by Fife bowlers at the 2018 SDS/SIB Indoor Bowls Championships at Falkirk. Fife bowlers contested seven sections and won five. Maria Spencer won the B2/B3 title; Billy Allan the B6 title; Barbara McMillan the ladies open ambulant section; Darryl Stewart and Pamela Mitchell the sections for bowlers with a learning disability. Craig Donaldson was runner up to Darryl.

Michael Simpson represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Australia where the men’s triple finished in fifth position. Michael was the only Fife representative to make the trip “down under” when Martin Hunter had to withdraw for personal reasons. Michael was awarded life membership by Strathmiglo BC last year which as we all know is a major accolade in the sport of bowls. Sarah Jane Ewing from Headwell BC travelled with Team Scotland as a coach/guide.

Wendy Thomson St Andrews BC and Pamela Mitchell Headwell BC received the honour of delivering the first bowl on their club opening day. Julie Allan from Windygates BC was in two mainstream club finals and became the first DSF member with a learning disability to win a club title.

Glen Livingston Abbeyview BC and Brian Crombie Coalton of Balgonie BC became welcome new additions to the Fife playing membership with Glen lifting the Lothian Disability Sport title at the first attempt. Billy Allan finished runner up.

There were several Fife Para bowlers involved in the classification clinic hosted by Abbeyview BC on behalf of SDS. Robert Rodger and Ian Graham from Abbeyview BC won the SABA Open Pairs at Hamilton Caledonia BC.

Team Fife retained the Scottish Inter Area Test Match Team Trophy through in Glasgow. The leading six male and six female bowlers with a learning disability represent each Scottish area and play singles, pairs and triples. Team Fife included a number of new bowlers last year who gave an excellent account of themselves and ran out worthy winners.

In the year past bowls specific developments have blossomed in Headwell BC, Dovecot BC, Windygates BC, Abbeyview BC and Lumphinnans BC. There are more DSF members with bowls club memberships than ever before and DSF is working in partnership with more clubs than ever to promote inclusive thinking and practice.

East Fife Indoor BC continues to host and sponsor the Fife Championships for bowlers with a learning disability. Beveridge Park BC similarly is a long standing host club and sponsor of the Fife Lawn Bowls Championships for disabled bowlers. The Fife Carpet Bowls Championships are held annually at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre with support from Fife Sports and Leisure Trust. DSF is as always enormously indebted to these three agencies for supporting
the three major Fife bowls events for disabled participants for over three decades.

It has been an amazing bowls year for Fife bowlers. DSF is indebted to all those who contribute to coaching and to the many volunteers and support staff who travel willingly around Scotland with our teams. As usual it is up to our carpet bowlers to set the standard for other Fife representatives to follow. Good luck Team Fife.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Forth Valley College in partnership with Falkirk Football Community Foundation have a new course designed for young people who have additional learning support needs and who require support to access the world of work or further study.

Learners will have a unique opportunity to take part in a range of on the pitch activities – encouraging practical learning and improving health/wellbeing at the same time combined with certified SQA units.  They will also benefit from real-life work placement opportunities.  The programme will be delivered locally at both the college’s Falkirk campus and Falkirk Football Stadium.

Applications for the programme are to be in ASAP. The course is funded through ‘Changing Lives through Sport and Physical Activity’.

Further information about the programme can be found at: https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/supported-learning/centre-forward-programme/

Location: Stirling
Job Type: Full-Time
Hours: 37.5 hours p/w
Salary: £20,000 p/a
Closing date: 23 January 2019
Interview date: 04 February 2019

Do you want to be part of a dynamic marketing team for one of Scotland’s leading sports?

Scottish Swimming is one of the leading sports organisations in Scotland when it comes to digital communications. We are seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic Digital Communications and Marketing Officer to join our team. Based at the National Swimming Academy in Stirling, you will work alongside the Head of Marketing, Communications Manager and Events Manager to drive forward all digital media activity and events for Scottish Swimming.

Full information can be found on the Scottish Swimming website here:

https://www.scottishswimming.com/about-us/job-opportunities/scottish-swimming-digital-communications-marketing-officer.aspx

Colleen Melville (20) is a Disability Sport Fife athlete and former pupil of Glenrothes HS. Colleen was invited to become a GOGA in Fife peer mentor volunteer but her 2018 timetable at Fife College prevented this happening. On the first week of the 2019 semester Colleen received her timetable and realised she could take up the offer of assisting at the Thursday multi sports session at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre. Colleen is a very popular DSF member and the volunteers are over the moon about the new addition. The session has blossomed because of GOGA investment and the peer mentor team is a particular strength.

Colleen is a regular attendee at GOGA supported run, jump and throws on Wednesdays and badminton on Mondays. By regularly attending weekly sessions Colleen believes she is “fitter”, has increased her “circle of friends” and is able to use her leisure time usefully. She hopes in due course to sign up for GOGA swimming sessions because she recognises the value of water competency.

It was Colleen’s carer Frances who approached the GOGA team and encouraged Colleen to register. As well as “having lots of fun” and “improving at different activities”, Colleen believes that being “tired” and sometimes “hot and sweaty” confirms that she is doing something worthwhile. Colleen enjoyed participating in her first local badminton and track and field championships and was pleased with her performances. She has never considered herself a sportswoman but being part of the GOGA in Fife movement has added a whole new meaning to the benefits of being physically active.

Colleen Melville and a number of other young Fife women and girls who have signed up for GOGA sessions are role models for their generation. Colleen’s relationship with her fellow participants is exceptional and she is valued and well liked by session coaches and volunteers. Colleen is exceptionally caring and patient and will contribute so much to the GOGA movement as a volunteer as well as an active participant. GOGA in Fife is proud of the part it is playing in successfully engaging with traditionally hard to reach groups such as teenage girls and women.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

13 year old Cameron Herring from Woodmill HS in Dunfermline is another Disability Sport Fife (DSF) member who enjoyed an action packed 2018 across a range of sports. Since being introduced through the GOGA in Fife programme to the DSF Thursday run, jump and throws session at Pitreavie athletics centre and striking up a friendship and guiding partnership with final year Queen Anne HS pupil Euan Sloan, Cam has improved significantly in confidence, technique and performance. Euan is a GOGA in Fife young volunteer and the run, jump and throws session has benefitted from GOGA investment for the past two years.

Sprints and shot have been Cam’s preferred events to date. Physically he is developing perfectly as a teenage shot putter. He has always enjoyed sprinting and with volunteer Euan alongside his times have improved with every meet. Coach Pamela Robson is pleased with his commitment and progress. Cam turned in a string of fine performances at the Fife and Scottish Championships in 2018 and demonstrated clearly he has a future in athletics. One of the highlights of Cam’s year was spending time at Pitreavie with Rio Paralympic Para triathlon silver medalist Alison Patrick from Dunfermline and her fiancé/guide, for a short training session in sprints.

Cam is also now involved with judo and boxing. Inspired by his school judo experience Cam is scheduled to start with the Fu Dog club which is located across the road from home and where Carnegie Judo Club is located in Dunfermline. Jim and Ian Feenan are the inclusive coaches who are working with him at the moment. Considering how well Cam is developing physically there is every chance this young man will progress well in this well established inclusive Paralympic sport.

Cam is the first blind junior sports person to join DSF and to say he has made an impact would be an understatement. Cam is supported by a loving and caring family. Each week he lights up Thursday training sessions. The rapport he enjoys with GOGA volunteer Euan is very special and they share a similar sense of humour. Cam is brave, determined and hard working. Whatever direction he chooses in life will be a success but all of us in DSF hope he retains his interest in sport. Cam comes from a strong sporting family and of course there will be every encouragement.

Cam is also working intensively with the Guide Dogs Association to improve his mobility and eventually looking after his own dog. Mobility and communication are immense challenges for a young learner with a visual impairment and hopefully his sporting experiences will help to increase his confidence. It is not all that long since Cam lost his sight but with enormous support from his caring family and significant others he has developed into a confident young teenager. His contribution to GOGA in Fife as junior athlete and “unique young character” can never be underestimated.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

An opportunity to lead a dynamic Board and drive a strategy for inclusive physical activity (including sport) in Wales

The Federation of Disability Sport Wales (DSW) is Company limited by guarantee, registered with charitable status and the lead agency for disability sport and physical activity (including sport) for disabled people in Wales.  The organisation is responsible for grass roots engagement through to supporting the most talented athletes in Wales into elite performance.  There is also a strong emphasis on education and training, and a commitment to supporting and equipping the whole sector to establish “An Active Nation where EVERYONE can have a lifelong enjoyment of sport”.

For more information see the Disability Sport Wales website here:

https://www.disabilitysportwales.com/news/2018/12/14/an-opportunity-to-lead-a-dynamic-board-and-drive-a-strategy-for-inclusive-physical-activity-including-sport-in-wales/

The Board and staff of Scottish Disability Sport would like to wish all our athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, parents, supporters and partners a very Merry Christmas and prosperous and successful New Year.

We thank you all most sincerely for your commitment, achievements and support during the last 12 months. We wish you all a happy and relaxing festive break and look forward to an exciting year ahead in 2019.

As part of its commitment to education and training, GOGA in Fife organised its second UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children course of 2018 late in December at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre. In attendance were GOGA in Fife volunteers, peer mentor volunteers, coaches and parents who have now turned to coaching. Half the 15 delegates are involved with GOGA in Fife activities and the other half are associated with mainstream boxing, football, golf and swimming clubs. The safety of all learners is a priority for Disability Sport Fife and GOGA in Fife.

The tutor for this excellent inclusive learning opportunity was Heather Lowden of Scottish Disability Sport who had as always the skills and knowledge to present this very challenging subject matter to a diverse group of learners in a thought provoking manner. GOGA in Fife administrator Pamela Robson was present to support the GOGA in Fife peer mentor volunteers. GOGA in Fife is indebted to Heather for her continued support of the Fife programme. All Disability Sport Fife and GOGA in Fife coaches and leading volunteers have attended a Safeguarding and Protecting Children course within the last few months.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

17 year old Cara Smyth from Dalgety Bay is part of the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) Young Start programme that aims to encourage, support and help transition young para sports participants into teaching and coaching.

Cara recently completed a UKCC Level 1 swimming teaching qualification and is on poolside as a swimming teacher with Carnegie Swimming Club for around three hours per week. Cara also supports DSF swim coach/teacher Kay Maxwell at the Carnegie Leisure Centre during the weekly Get Out Get Active (GOGA in Fife) supported session for swimmers with additional support needs. Cara has become a most valued young Fife swimming volunteer.

Earlier this month SDS arranged a get together for the Year 2 members of the Young Start programme. Cara was invited along because she had missed out on this event in Year 1. I am reliably informed she made a very positive contribution to the session. Cara is well known in Fife for her bubbly, upbeat personality and not surprisingly her humour and relaxed demeanour went down very well on the night. So valuable was Cara’s contribution that she has been invited to attend the residential event that she missed in Year 1 of the programme because of hospitalisation.

Cara is a Fife College student and is out on placement two days per week. Cara enjoys her studies and apart from volunteering remains a very committed performance Para swimmer with aspirations of reaching as high a standard as possible in the year ahead. Cara is currently in the Carnegie ASC performance development white squad and training 10 hours per week under coach Barry McMillan. In addition this very committed young Disability Sport Fife member is learning to drive.

DSF is proud of its peer mentor volunteers and none more so than Cara Smyth. Cara is also a highly respected loyal Fife performance swimmer who will be heading to the east of Scotland at the start of the year with her Fife team mates for the SDS performance gala. Cara has achieved so much already in Para swimming but there is undoubtedly much more to come.

Photo: Cara Smyth centre; Caroline Baird MBE GB Paralympian left; Oonagh Aitken CEO Volunteering Matters

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Followers of the career of para swimmer Ollie Carter from Cupar will be pleased to learn that he has settled in to his new life at Stirling University and has finished all of his first term exams. The ex Bell Baxter HS pupil and Carnegie Swimming Club member has completed his course work for the semester. Ollie has settled brilliantly into the university way of life.

Ollie is Fife’s most successful Para swimmer of the past few years. He started his competitive career at Cupar and District SC before moving to Carnegie ASC where he came under the influence of head coach Morag Mitchell. As a member of Carnegie ASC, and with strength and conditioning support from Stuart Bizzarri of Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, Ollie developed into one of the leading Para swimmers in the UK. In his final two years in Fife, Ollie successfully secured lifeguarding and swim teaching qualifications as part of the Young Start programme for coaches and teachers.

Ollie acknowledges his excellent training experiences in Fife but believes he has already made significant progress working under the university coaching team. He believes that his training is a lot less intensive and much more technical and controlled. The structure involves weekly, monthly and quarterly planners with specific distances, sets and goals to achieve throughout. Ollie has always enjoyed training and is thriving on the challenges set by the university team.

Ollie’s strength and conditioning is delivered twice per week through the sportscotland Institute staff team who work very closely with the university swim team. This means that Ollie has the opportunity to carry out his gym work alongside great Scottish and GB internationals like Ross Murdoch and Duncan Scott. Ollie is quick to emphasise that he has felt fully included as a Para sportsman from the moment he set foot in the university.

Ollie’s gym programme is headed by Neil Shanks who liaised with Stuart Bizzarri to ensure a seamless transfer of responsibility and programme content between Fife and the university. Ollie is training with the high performance 2 squad, the second highest squad, and is coached by Josh Williamson. Ollie is delighted to be working with Josh and they have established an excellent relationship. The top high performance 1 squad is coached by Steven Tigg and Brad Hay but the squads and coaching team work very closely and swimmers often end up joining squads and sets. Ollie believes that technically he is already experiencing amazing improvements and his strokes are feeling considerably smoother and more efficient.

Ollie has been active in competitions since arriving at university. In his two representative meets for Stirling university he has performed very well, particularly in relation to the technical changes that have been introduced to his swimming programme. Ollie swam at the British Universities (BUCS) short course meet at Ponds Forge in Sheffield where he competed in 7 events. Ollie swam as a para swimmer and was placed from 3rd to 5th, racking up loads of BUCS points for the team. Ollie swam 50m 100m 400m free, 100m back, 100m breast and 200 IM and managed to PB in a couple of events, outstanding for so early in the season. Ollie’s most notable achievements were recording 64 seconds for 100m fly, for a personal best by 3 seconds and 57.2 for 100m free and a one second PB. Ollie is particularly pleased that this was the first occasion ever that the Stirling men’s team had defeated Loughborough Universities men’s team – the perennial BUCS champions. Ollie was proud to be part of this great Stirling performance.

The second major competition for Ollie was the National Para Championships (long course), where he swam under the Scottish banner, but represented Stirling University. Once again Ollie was pleased in particular with the number of technically strong races he completed. He contested five events: 50m 100m 400m free, 200m IM and 100m fly. Ollie recorded small PBs in 50m free 200m IM but in 100m fly he recorded 66 secs for a two second PB. Ollie was also pleased with his 400m performance where he swam almost the same time as the British Championships last year but with far fewer strokes and a much more efficient technique. Ollie won gold medals in all but 100m fly, missing out on a clean sweep of five golds by 0.3 seconds. As always Ollie was delighted to be part of a strong Scottish team.

Ollie occasionally returns to Fife because he has no training on Saturdays. As an additional leisure activity Ollie has joined the Muay Thai Boxing Club where he has again made lots of new friends. He finds the sport very enjoyable and a pleasant contrast to swimming. So far he has been unable to pursue his lifeguarding and swim teaching skills in Stirling but hopefully next year there may be another chance. Ollie is also pursuing level 2 fitness instructor training and may even achieve the qualification by Christmas. Thereafter Ollie hopes to progress to the Level 3 personal trainer qualification next year.

Ollie’s training finishes for the year on 21st December and then he is back into hard training on 3rd January. Ollie is over the moon that he has recently received news that he has been selected to swim in Geneva along with other outstanding young Scottish Para swimmers Jack Milne, Abby Kane and Toni Shaw. Ollie is also going away with the Stirling swim squad to Holland at some point and he has a four day British Swimming Academy Camp in Manchester in February. In addition Ollie has the World Championship trials in April and the final British meet in the summer.

The young Fife swimmer has an action packed 2019 programme ahead and we admire how far he has progressed from his days with Cupar and District Swimming Club. Tribute is paid to Carnegie ASC for the role played in Ollie’s performance development and to Scottish Swimming for being present throughout his impressive journey to date. Disability Sport Fife pays tribute to the organisations and individuals who have contributed financially to Ollie’s development during the formative years in particular. Scottish Disability Sportrecognised Ollie with a bursary earlier in the year as Scotland’s emerging Para junior. Ollie has been a great servant to Fife as a junior Para swimmer and has achieved an enormous amount at UK level but in his new base at Stirling University he has every chance of stepping up to a higher level in international Para swimming.

Like so many successful young sports people, the role played by parents can never be underestimated. DSF has had the pleasure of working closely with Ollie’s mum over many years. Her contribution to Ollie’s development has been quite exceptional and we congratulate Cath on her critical role in Ollie’s journey to date.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife