Ball rolling on proposed new sports club
PEOPLE of all ages and abilities came along to Astro Active in Enniscorthy to give a variety of different sports a whirl at the recent Come and Try day.
Organised by the Irish Wheelchair Association and Sports Active Wexford, the day aimed to encourage children with a physical disability to get involved in physical activity. Wheelchair basketball, rugby, cricket, football, athletics and boccia were just some of the activities on the cards for the day.
‘A lot of the time, these children are going to their PE class and are just blowing the whistle, helping their teacher or throwing a ball against the wall. This allowed them to get stuck in and just be kids,’ said IWA Sports Development Officer for the South East Region Joanne Wall.
The day was one of many moves towards establishing a multisport club for children with disabilities in Enniscorthy. Though adults were welcome to take part on the day, the plan is to set up a club for children aged between five and 18.
‘ We hope to set up the club for children where they can meet every week and try a number of different sports,’ explained Joanne. ‘ When I started working in my current position, an aim that we identified was the establishment of one of these clubs. We want to encourage children to be more active, especially with obesity numbers on the rise.’
To determine the level of interest in such a facility, another session will be held after Christmas. In the meantime, Joanne said that anyone who is interested can contact her at joanne.wall@iwa.ie.