By William Moncrieff, Communication Coordinator
Nicky MacNeil has been a regular referee in the boccia circuit, especially after completing her level three qualification. One of her favourite aspects of the sport is the friendships that she has built along the way.
“Everybody is there to create a good atmosphere. They say it’s like a family, but it really is like a family”, said Nicky.
Having been involved in the boccia community for a number of years, Nicky (aged 56) summed up how she feels about the social aspect: “They say friends are the family we make for ourselves and I always enjoy spending time with my boccia family.”
The term ‘boccia community’ can be mentioned a lot and Nicky believes it to be so unique because, “everybody is there because they want to be, they are so supportive.”
Nicky first got in to boccia when her son Ross, went to a ‘have a go’ boccia day. After an introduction to the sport, Ross caught the boccia bug and he began playing regularly.
As Ross is a BC3 player, Nicky’s husband/Ross’s father, is his ramp operator. This was when Nicky first noticed the social impact of the sport. “I just really enjoyed it, I got to meet people that were there, we all got chatting,” Nicky said.
She then decided to take the first step towards becoming an official. “My husband decided to go and do his level one referee course to learn a little bit more and I thought I might come and do that with him.”
Since completing her level one, Nicky hasn’t looked back. “Things have just gone from there; I have now refereed the UK Championships and [referred] in Northern Ireland.”
Through these opportunities, Nicky has: “met so many lovely people. I’ve met a lot of people, people who are now friends.”
A great enjoyment for Nicky is seeing athletes and participants develop. “It’s [a great joy] watching them progress. You watch players when they first start and you are trying to explain rules to them as they are playing, then they are in competitions and you see the progression in them,” Nicky said.
Nicky has also found new opportunities to work alongside other officials. “Now that I am a level three referee, I like helping newer referees. This then helps build my skills and knowledge because I am helping them progress,” remarked Nicky.
Nicky believes that there won’t ever be a dull day as a referee, partly due to the variety referees find from week to week. “You could be doing a wee local competition where you’re refereeing for the learning disability guys, then the next week you could be at the UK Championships where you are refereeing a Paralympic gold medallist. The diversity of who you are refereeing is amazing,” she said.
A further time that Nicky has found the social benefits of boccia, was when she was doing the boccia training and qualifications. “I went through my level three with people like Ling [Mann] and Sam [Thompson] and that is really nice, you have the support and the people around to bounce stuff off of,” she commented.
Along with making life-long friends with refereeing colleagues, Nicky has managed to build new bonds and relationships with different members of the community. “Athletes now run up to you when you walk into the hall to tell you something that has happened since the last time that they saw you.”
“The parents of the athletes will now walk up and have a chat, it’s just so nice,”
Despite her busy schedule, Nicky also finds time to work with and help develop athletes. “I also now support one of the UK players, Fiona Muirhead, who plays for Boccia UK.”
This work has found Nicky travelling overseas: “I have gone out to the European Championships to support her through the competition. I have also been to Canada with her. This has all come through meeting her through boccia. It’s great for me. You’re there in a different scenario as you’re there with the players and it’s all about getting the players prepped.”
Nicky continued to say, “For me though, I’m there at an international competition watching international referees, so I get to watch the people that I aspire to be like.”
If you would be interested in finding out more about how to get involved in boccia, you can do so by reaching out to your Regional Development Manager. This manager will be able to provide you with information on local opportunities to get involved as a volunteer, coach, official or player.
Alternatively, you can contact SDS’s Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy by email: jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com.
Make sure to stay up to date on all opportunities throughout Scotland, by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website.
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