‘The best day of my life’ is how 8-year-old Isa described the ‘Move More’ event at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Sheffield, an annual two-day event held on 14th and 15th September this year.
The Inclusive Sports event is run by Sheffield City Trust in conjunction with Links School Sports Partnership, Sheffield City Council and Yorkshire Sport Foundation. Tom Hughes Development Manager for Sheffield at Yorkshire Sport Foundation described it as their ‘showcase event’ where attendees get to try a host of different activities, some 23 in total, to show them what is available to them, and encourage them to be more physically active and just ‘Move More’.
As Tom stated, whether it’s the participants themselves, the carers, or the staff from the various centres and daycare centres that they come from, it’s just about giving them that breadth of opportunity and showing them what’s actually possible, not limiting the individual by what their disability might be.
It’s breaking down those systemic barriers and showing them that they can do pretty much any sport or activity if it is adapted slightly. The participants certainly seemed to enjoy the array of adaptive activities available, with Isa commenting: ‘It’s a great opportunity for us. I really liked how we got to try lots of new things. I liked the sensory circuit the best, and the table tennis and netball were fun. But what I loved the most is that there was something for everyone, that everyone was included, and no one was left behind.’
Emma Smith, teacher at Archdale Primary School in Sheffield, thought that the event was amazing and very rewarding for her pupils who can find sport inaccessible at times due to lack of equipment, or just equipment that is unsuitable for them. Although they do have some adaptive equipment available in school, according to Emma it’s obviously not on the scale of what was available at the EIS event, highlighting in particular the phenomenal array of specialised bikes provided by TomCat, Cycle Happy and Sheffield Cycling for All. Some of her children had never been on a bike before and so this was a fantastic opportunity for them.
There is certainly a ripple effect from these events too. In addition to the impact on the children, Emma was taking a lot away from the day on a personal level. She was extremely impressed with the Sensory Circuit provided by the Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Programme and intends to follow up on some training with them, in addition to implementing some different activities in the classroom to enhance movement, and basically make life better for the children.
For her it was also wonderful to see the children mix with the leaders from mainstream schools, quite a few of whom had been interested in asking about her children and getting to know what they had enjoyed about the event. Emma believes that the event will have had a positive impact on all of the children and summed it up by saying that ‘it’s not just about doing lots of PE, it’s about having lots of fun’, and that’s what she believes her children will take away from the event.
Also at the event was Tracy from Sheffield City College who was there to support a hearing-impaired student Adam, and she was amazed by the opportunities available and the supportive environment at the event. Adam had been reticent initially about taking part saying that he would just watch others on the bikes but was soon ‘zooming up and down’ at some speed having been matched with a suitable TomCat cycle.
As Tom Hughes observed, it’s wonderful to see everyone getting involved. Some children have sat on the side-lines at these events for years, so to witness the transition they have gone through in their relationship with physical activity is inspiring.
Tom says the activity generates conversation and enthusiasm, and soon sees the individual interacting with the staff and other participants. ‘They may be quiet in their own settings and so to see them come out of their shell is amazing,’ he said. ‘It’s those ‘light bulb moments’ where you see that increase in confidence, and that they’re so passionate about what they’re doing. That’s what these events are all about.’
Luiz Faye from Kronik Warrior Adaptive Boxing Academy believes there is an element of ‘fear of the unknown’ which can sometimes hinder people, particularly those with disabilities, when it comes to trying new activities. For her it’s about spreading awareness that everyone can enjoy boxing in some format, regardless of body conditions and impairments.
This is the importance of these events, to show people with disabilities that there are so many sports which are accessible to them. As Luiz says: ‘You literally see people’s eyes open up when they realise the possibilities.’
Gareth Davis, Head of Region for Yorkshire Cricket Board, agrees that the ‘Move More’ is about showcasing what is available in sport for people with disabilities. He has attended previous events at the EIS and provided inclusive activities such as table and softball cricket.
His goal is to just get more people playing; girls, boys, people with disabilities and of all age groups, making it inclusive for all. There are opportunities to go right through as England have a Physical Disability side for amputees and wheelchair users, as well as Visually and Hearing-Impaired Teams, but at base level it’s more about just connecting people, having fun and promoting physical activity.
Their sessions for children are fully adaptive and sometimes just involve a bat and a balloon, but as Gareth points out, ‘That’s their form of cricket, and that’s fine.’
Also present at the two-day event were Niamh Mourton and Angela Lyndon from the Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP) which is a movement-based sports programmes which provides meaningful sport and physical activity for young people with profound disabilities and complex needs.
They had set up a Sensory Circuit based on the core MATP skills: mobility, dexterity, kicking and striking, and were supported by some fantastic PE students from UTC college who helped on the different stations, and with just adapting the activities, breaking them down in a fun way so that participants could engage in the movement and just have fun. As Niamh says: ‘It’s about educating people on what they can achieve and catering for every single disability so that everyone can get involved. Young people who take part in the programme also get chance to come to a Challenge event at the EIS, which is in front of a crowd, and where they showcase what they have learned, at whatever level that may be.
As Angela said: ‘It’s about celebrating their achievements, but also about coming together to support each other.’ She related a story of one athlete who was struggling at the event and his mum got the assembled crowd to sing his favourite song, ‘If you’re happy and you know it’ to motivate him, and so that camaraderie and support is so important.
Julie Grafton has been running the Cycle Happy Club in Sheffield for five years alongside her husband. Both enthusiastic cyclists, they decided to set up the club, which promotes cycling for people with learning difficulties, after their daughter was a competitor at the Special Olympics.
She was grateful for the support of Dawn Wood at Links SSP/SCT who assisted her with applying for funding which allowed them to purchase a fleet of bikes, trikes, and balance bikes which they could adapt for people with disabilities.
As Julie attests though it’s not just about learning to ride a bike, it’s about health and fitness and being more physically active. One of their children was borderline needing hip replacement surgery, but since taking part in the strengthening and aerobic activities provided by the club their condition has apparently improved dramatically.
Cycle Happy has also had a significant impact on Niall Guite, a young man with learning difficulties, who had an obvious aptitude for cycling. Having recognised this, the club referred him to the Youth Team to instigate further appropriate training in competitive cycling and he eventually went on to compete in cycling at the Special Olympics. Julie and the club are obviously immensely proud of the achievements of their ‘celebrity’ and were delighted when he returned to show his medals in the hope of inspiring other young people at the club.
Phillimore Community Primary School brought by far the biggest contingent to the event with some 60 pupils in attendance alongside their PE leader Jo Searle. The impact of these events on the children is huge, according to Jo, in terms of broadening their horizons.
Eight-year-old Aya described the day as ‘amazing’ and couldn’t wait to tell his parents all about it, and particularly how much he had enjoyed the table tennis. He said: ‘I didn’t really know how to play until after practice but then I got really good.’
Mohammed was also full of praise for the event and commented that, ‘today I had a really good day, the best day of my life’. Jo advised that some of the children had also been given information slips relating to clubs they could join at EIS as pathway to community activities, proving again just how far reaching the effects of these events are.
For Tom Hughes the event is the most inspiring and rewarding that they host in Sheffield, and he is justifiably proud of the achievements of a brilliant network of disability partners who bring these events to life. Whilst it’s hard - Tom says ‘at times a little like organised chaos’ - everybody embraces it.
There can be no doubt that the event was hugely rewarding and beneficial for all involved, and final word has to go to 8-year-old Isa, who said: ‘I just want to say thank you to you, and all the teachers and parents and organisers for this day because you’ve made us all so happy. I wish we could come every day’.