On Thursday 11 February 2016, Bridgwater College hosted their third annual Boccia Tournament to celebrate the success of the numerous active sessions being delivered to SEN students.
The sessions are delivered by the Team BC Activators (student volunteers) and Carly Martin (College Sports Maker) as a way of increasing sports participation for those that don’t get regular access to physical activities. Seven teaching groups access these sessions on a weekly basis.
Boccia (pronounced 'Bot-cha') is a Paralympic sport which has no Olympic counterpart. Players throw, kick or use a ramp to propel a ball onto the court with the aim of getting closest to a 'jack' ball. It is designed specifically for athletes with a disability affecting loco motor function. It is played indoors on a court similar in size to a badminton court. The aim of the game is to get closer to the jack than your opponent.
Those participating in regular boccia sessions not only reap the physical benefits of taking part in sport, but also gain opportunities to develop numeracy skills, communication and team work. The Team BC Activators who lead the sessions are able to extend their coaching experiences, develop their communication skills and widen their knowledge in disability sports by coaching the SEN students on a regular basis.
The Team BC Activators took on roles such as tournament managers, team managers, officials, timers and scorers. The tournament saw five teams enter and teams played each other in a ‘round robin’ format. The team that won the tournament would be the team that could get the most amounts of points throughout the duration of the tournament. All participants received a certificate for their great sportsmanship and impressive skill but the winners of the festival were the green team, consisting of students Connor Hale-Griffiths and Matthew Wilson.
Maggie St Quintin, Lecturer for Entry Studies and tutor to some of the students that took part in the festival said,
“Thank you so much to the Team BC Activators for the tournament today. The group came back buzzing with all the fun of it! This was once again such a good opportunity for them to work together and have fun.”
Alisha Gardener, Team BC Activator and Level 3 Sport and Exercise Science student said,
“As an activator I felt that the boccia tournament went really well. It was nice to see the student interacting with others as they came up with tactics to try and win. Each student had a smile on their face the whole time and was enjoying themselves throughout the tournament.”
The college will continue to run this tournament annually, with the hope of extending the invitation to external colleges. As well as this, students who participated in this event have displayed an interested in participating in similar tournaments which include other sports.
For more information on sports opportunities at Bridgwater College, please contact Carly Martin (College Sports Maker) on martinc@bridgwater.ac.uk.
