Hampshire Parallel Games
Friday 20 June 2008
The event aims to provide competitive sporting opportunities for young people in special schools and units and to increase the profile of disability sport. It also aspires to providing a positive experience for all the volunteers and coaches who support the day. The long term result is an increasing number of young people taking part in sport and physical activity, and breaking down the barriers to participation.
Sports included in the Parallel Games 2008 will be:
- Athletics
- Basketball Skills
- Basketball 3 v 3
- Boccia
- Football Skills
- Football (boys and mixed)
- Football (Futsal Girls)
- New Age Kurling
- Rugby Skills
Each of the sports have been specifically selected for a number of reasons.
Firstly, activity is already taking place to ensure continued participation or new exciting initiatives are happening in these chosen sports. For example, the County FA has set up a number of new footballing opportunities and there are an existing number of multi-activity disability sports clubs that provide basketball and athletics. Also, development work is happening for Boccia and New Age Kurling.
Secondly, the sports have either been specifically designed for disability participation, ie. New Age Kurling and Boccia, or are easily adaptable for groups where the participants have such a range of abilities. Taking the examples of football and basketball; these are split into two competitions:
Competition A, for the more ambulant, is a 7-a-side football or 3v3 basketball tournament.
Competition B, is a skills based event for the less mobile, where points are awarded to teams depending on how well skills, such as shooting and dribbling, are performed by individuals.
The introduction of new sports will continue, adaptations will improve, competition will sharpen and The Hampshire Parallel Games will continue to develop and increase disability sport participation.