Sydney to host 2013 Asia Oceania Boccia Championships
Sydney has been named as the host the 2013 Asia Oceania Boccia Championships this October.
The competition will take place at the Sydney Olympic Park (pictured top) from October 18 until 26 while it will be delivered by the newly created Boccia International Sports Federation and Boccia Australia.
The event marks the first international boccia event staged in Australia since the Sydney 2000 Paralympics.
The announcement is also a boost for boccia in Australia, which has experienced a greater focus on improving the development pathway for players and coaches since the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) Boccia programme was revamped following the Beijing 2008 Paralympics.
Do you fancy playing boccia on 12th Feb 2013 ? (Larne, Scotland)
THE legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games remains prominent in the Larne area with the start of a boccia club at Ballygally Community Hall. Beginning on Tuesday, February 12, anyone keen on getting involved in the sport can come along and simply play!
For those unfamiliar with the sport, boccia is a precision ball sport related to bowls. It is fully-inclusive and anyone can play from young to old. It’s a great opportunity for family and friends to come together to play a new sport. The aim is to throw leather balls (red or blue) as close as possible to a white target ball, or jack. It can be played standing up, or alternatively ramps are available for those who need to be seated.
And to maximise on the opportunity of meeting new people, tea and coffee will be provided at the end of the evening for everyone to enjoy the social side of the club too!
If it sounds like something you would be interested in, come along on Tuesday, February 12 from 7.30pm to 9pm to Ballygally Community Hall.
If you would like to find out more, contact Larne Borough Council’s Sports Development Unit on 02828 260478
Atlantic Boccia Championships about more than sports
For participants in this weekend’s Atlantic Boccia Championships, it wasn’t just about trying to defeat the competition and come out on the winning side.
“I think what’s important to keep in mind is, like my mom tells me, you’re playing for fun,” said Abby Quigley, 13, of St. John’s. “You’re not playing for competitive stuff. You’re only playing for fun. That’s basically what boccia and every sport is about.”
The inaugural Atlantic championship was hosted by Easter Seals Newfoundland and Labrador.
Athletes and coaches from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were on hand for the two-day event, which got underway Saturday morning at the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Centre in St. John’s.
via Atlantic Boccia Championships about more than sports – Local – The Telegram.
Paralympic legacy on show at Boccia event
THE Paralympic legacy was clear for all to see as more than 20 schools took part in a Boccia competition at Next Generation at Kembrey Park.
Pupils travelled from across Swindon as well as from Devizes, Salisbury and Marlborough to compete in the event, which sees players try to throw leather balls as close to a jack as possible in a game similar to bowls.
While Brazil dominated the sport at the London 2012 Paralympics, teams from Commonweal school finished first and second at Kembrey Park, with the winners now moving forward to the regional finals in Exeter.
Swindon Schools Sports Partnership’s School Games organiser Andy Steckbeck helped run the event, which he believes perfectly illustrates what the Olympics and Paralympics have given to this country.
via BOCCIA: Paralympic legacy on show at Boccia event (From This Is Wiltshire).
BOCCIA ON THE WORLD STAGE: A Paralympic Boccia Synopsis
After years of eager anticipation, the Paralympics finally took centre stage in London. It may not have got the coverage that it deserved, but London 2012 certainly made a greater effort to raise the profile of the Paralympic Games than any host before.
Boccia, on the other hand, still remains over looked compared with the superstar events of Athletics, Swimming and Cycling; although a few thousand more people know what it is. The two Medals won by the GB Team will also help elevate Boccia more into the public domain.
The thousands of people, open-minded enough to give Boccia a try, watched the sport and were treated to an awesome spectacle of world-class action. The seven-day sporting marvel showcased some of Boccia’s most exciting talents from across the globe. The atmosphere within the Excel’s South Arena 1 was electrifying, beyond anything any of the Boccia Athletes had experienced before. Even in Beijing nearly all of the two-and-a-half thousand-spectators were rent-a-crowd, people actually made to watch Boccia. At London, it was completely different; every seat taken by someone who was excited and enthused to play witness to a Paralympic sporting event.
Author David Hill
*** Read all of this story in the world’s 1st Boccia magazine – “Boccia Inclusive” here. Sign up to subscribe regularly here. Find out more about Boccia Inclusive by visiting its Facebook page here. ***
BOCCIA PLAYERS TO GAMES MAKERS: A September to Remember
London 2012 was an once-in-a-lifetime chance for British Olympians and Paralympians to compete in the World’s biggest sporting event on Home Soil, in front of a Home crowd. It was also a grand opportunity for aspiring British Athletes along with tens of thousands to get involved as Games Makers.
For aspiring Boccia Players from the England Squad, this prospect of being part of a Paralympic Games was hard to ignore. Some, including myself, leapt at possibility of becoming a Games Maker for this very reason: to be a part of something very special. After a lengthy interview process we were chosen as volunteers and assigned various roles, some very interesting and others repetitive or mundane.
Author: David Hill
*** Read all of this story in the world’s 1st Boccia magazine – “Boccia Inclusive” here. Sign up to subscribe regularly here. Find out more about Boccia Inclusive by visiting its Facebook page here. ***
DO IT YOURSELF: Tips on How to Raise Your Game
There have been many requests from readers wanting practical advice about how to improve their Boccia skills and progress on to their National Teams. In the next issue of Boccia Inclusive we will explore this in more detail, getting coaches and players to share their wisdom on the matter. But for this issue I will present some basic tips to help raise the level of play for new and hobby players.
Concentration, Confidence and consistency are three important factors in improving within any sport. To compete at a high level you need consistency in accuracy and pace to put the ball exactly where you want it; whether rolling up to the jack, into a gap, or knocking a ball in/away. Then you also need to have complete confidence in your ability to make that shot and concentration while taking it. The more consistent you become, the more confidence you are; and vice versa. If you suffer a lack of confidence or concentration it will have a negative affect on your game play, even the best players can have bad shots if they start doubting their ability or not as focus as they need to be.
Author: David Hill
*** Read all of this story in the world’s 1st Boccia magazine – “Boccia Inclusive” here. Sign up to subscribe regularly here. Find out more about Boccia Inclusive by visiting its Facebook page here. ***
SAM OLDKNOW: Reaching New Boccia Heights
I have been playing Boccia for around seven years now. I attended a “Playground to Podium” event when I was 8 years old and was identified as a potential Boccia player. From the event I was invited to join the Notts Elite Boccia squad.
The Notts Elite Boccia squad is run by Pete Edwards and, in joining, I hoped to enjoy it. From the moment I first began to play Boccia I found it really fun to be part of. I felt that it was a sport that I could compete in against my peers and hopefully progress through to the highest level.
Over the past seven years I have made steady progress under the tutition of my coach and with the support of my teammates at Nottingham Boccia Club. However, the last twelve months have been amazing. I have always worked hard at the sport and always wanted to climb the ladder of success, but I never dreamed it would happen so quickly.
Author: Sam Oldknow
*** Read all of this story in the world’s 1st Boccia magazine – “Boccia Inclusive” here. Sign up to subscribe regularly here. Find out more about Boccia Inclusive by visiting its Facebook page here. ***
BOCCIA ENGLAND TALENT SQUAD: Developing the Future of Boccia
At Excel during the Paralympics, and since, I have heard many athletes express a wish to play for GB in Rio. The path to international success is as challenging in boccia as any other sport. Unfortunately dreams do not come true by wishing but they can become a reality through hard work and careful planning.
The recently established Boccia England Talent squad is a stepping-stone on the way to representing a Home Nation and then Great Britain. Players are selected through achieving at National competition or being identified by the selection team as having genuine potential. This might mean someone who has shown skill in Regionals or an Open competition but only been playing for a few months, or a young athlete who has played for several years and is now maturing and developing in their sport and able to compete at a senior level.
Author: Liz Moulam
*** Read all of this story in the world’s 1st Boccia magazine – “Boccia Inclusive” here. Sign up to subscribe regularly here. Find out more about Boccia Inclusive by visiting its Facebook page here. ***
RED OR BLUE? Reasons We Pick One Over the Other
We all have favourites; two identical pairs of socks – but we prefer to wear one colour over another; over time that pair wears thin, makes a hole and is no longer fit for purpose. Should Boccia balls be any different? It seems most players prefer one colour ball over the other: is it wise to prefer red or blue?
Author Liz Moulam
*** Read all of this story in the world’s 1st Boccia magazine – “Boccia Inclusive” here. Sign up to subscribe regularly here. Find out more about Boccia Inclusive by visiting its Facebook page here. ***
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