By William Moncrieff, Communications Officer
Belle Beau Brown’s journey in boccia may have been a short one to date but it has been one full of enjoyment, socialisation and growth.
Belle Beau (aged 13) first tried boccia at Scottish Disability Sport’s Women and Girls in Boccia event on February 8th, 2025. 23 women and girls travelled from all over Scotland to Perth (Perth UHI) to take part in the day.
The event provided women and girls with a fantastic introduction to the sport of boccia. Furthermore, it provided the participants with an opportunity to connect and develop relationships with new people whilst being physically active. The social aspect of the sport has been an element that Belle Beau has enjoyed from the start, saying: “I like boccia because I get to meet new people.”
Jamie, Belle’s father, expanded on this: “Belle left the day feeling really happy, it was really good that they all had an opportunity to meet girls in their own age group. Sometimes you can go to an event or competition, and not really meet anyone your own age.”
The Brown family have enjoyed being part of the boccia family and the community spirit it provides.
“You get to meet other people at these groups that are going through similar situations to you, not just with boccia, but at home. It’s good because as parents, we don’t know everything and someone may have gone through something similar. We just converted our bathroom in our house and somebody was doing the same, and we were able to chat about what hoists were good,” Jamie explained.
Since the Women and Girls event, Belle Beau has continued to develop her boccia skills by participating at the ‘Come Play Boccia’ session delivered by Grampian Disability Sport, at Mearns Sports Centre,every Tuesday evening.
Although the Women and Girls event provided Belle Beau and many others with a great opportunity to socialise and meet new people, Belle Beau has had other opportunities through sport to connect with others.
“I met Rebecca at the (Grampian) Parasport Festival and I told her all about boccia,” she said. Together, the girls attend the Tuesday night boccia sessions.
In addition to the weekly sessions, Belle Beau was invited to train with the Tayside Boccia Squad every month, to support her development within the sport.
The sport has proven contagious, with the Brown family regularly picking up a set of balls for a game.
“We were playing in the house yesterday. We have an open plan kitchen and living room, so we like to roll up the carpet and get the boccia balls out,” Jamie said. Although Belle Beau claims to not be competitive, she was quick to add: “I usually beat my brothers.”
The uptake of boccia has had a positive impact on Belle Beau physically, with her dad saying: “When she first started she couldn’t always throw the ball that far and now six months later, she can nearly throw the length of the court. It has definitely helped make her stronger.”
The biggest takeaway from playing boccia though, is not physical. “Boccia makes me feel happy,” said Belle Beau. You cannot put a price on that.
If you would be interested in finding out more about boccia opportunities, 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.
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