With 30 active members, Winchester Goalball Club (WGC) is a thriving, busy Club. At training sessions and tournaments we are lucky to have a host of parents supporting the players and helping out whenever they can.
The Club decided to tap into this enthusiasm and hold a “Parents and Friends Experience Day”. This took place on Sunday 14th October with 15 eager recruits, including the Chairman of Goalball UK, John Grosvenor and his wife, Amanda.
John said “It was great to have a go at playing Goalball during the session in Winchester. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and learning more about the rules and being able to play was excellent”
Club Chairman and Head Coach, Adam Knott, and Alex Bunney, GB Men’s Assistant Coach, and WGC Elite Coach delivered the session, which ran from 10am-4pm at Peter Symonds College, Winchester.
The new recruits’ first task was to set up a court ready for play. This achieved, next came a brief introduction, using a warm up as an example, on working with blind and visually impaired people.
Our “recruits” were keen to understand more about playing Goalball, so after a practical lesson on how to defend and throwing, they were let loose on the court. The tuition must have been good, as we witnessed some superb “long and strong” defence positions.
After a brief lunch break, the session ramped up a gear with explanations on “How to be a Good Tournament Coach” (delivered by Adam), and the “Basics of Reffing and Table Work” (delivered by Alex). With over-loaded brains, the “recruits” put everything they had learnt into practice with a hands-on coaching, reffing and playing session.
Winchester Goalball Club would like to thank the delegates for their enthusiasm and support for the Club, and hope to see them cementing their newly acquired knowledge at both training sessions and tournaments in the future.
