MORE than two-hundred participants took to the courts at Selkirk Stadium on Tuesday as part of a program promoting inclusive sport in the region.<\/p>\n
The initiative was delivered by Disability Sports Australia with other providers including Sports Central.<\/p>\n
Executive officer Michael Flynn said the day was about showcasing accessible sports for all abilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea is to get the community to try a range of different sports they\u2019d possibly never had the chance to participate in before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got some games adapted for people with disabilities. A great example is Ballarat Badminton Association. The kids have a badminton racket in their hand and hitting a balloon as an activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a really strong turnout and this is a first for Ballarat. DSA runs these events across Australia and this is part of a regional Victorian rollout.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hopeful we can deliver the program again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Activities included dance, fishing, lawn bowls, basketball, Aussie rules, golf and badminton.<\/p>\n
Attendees were also given showbags containing information on all-abilities sports groups and programs as well as sports not featured in the event.<\/p>\n
The Active Inclusion Day was spearheaded by 13-year-old Cooper Greenbank as a submission for feedback platform Suggest It\u2019s 2022 Ballarat\u2019s Best Ideas.<\/p>\n
He said he was happy with seeing his suggestion become a reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really, really good to see my idea resulting in this day,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s surpassed all my expectations and it\u2019s been great seeing the turnout.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely thought I got to give a lot of input with this and helped out a lot with the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought a disability sports day would be good because around my school, I didn\u2019t feel like there was enough awareness and equality amongst disabled people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ballarat Specialist School Year 11 student Isabell Murray took part in the program and said it was an enjoyable experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been going good so far,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve taken part in bowling, fishing, golf, and AFL.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoyed the fishing the most. We caught fake fish and got to see what type of fish it was. I\u2019d definitely recommend this to people who want to try different sports out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MORE than two-hundred participants took to the courts at Selkirk Stadium on Tuesday as part of a program promoting inclusive sport in the region. The initiative was delivered by Disability Sports Australia with other providers including Sports Central. Executive officer Michael Flynn said the day was about showcasing accessible sports for all abilities. \u201cThe idea […]<\/p>\n