Sport and health partnership is giving disabled people the right to remain active

On the UN’s International Day of Persons with a Disability (Thursday 3^rdDecember), we’re handing our blog over to a unique partnership which is looking to transform the lives of those living with a disability in Wales through the power of sport.

The Health Disability Sport Pathway has seen Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Disability Sport Wales join forces after gaining a Sport Wales Calls4Action grant.  The objective; to support more disabled people across North Wales to become physically active, and to reap the benefits of being involved in sport.

Below Project Officer Catherine Chin tells us the story of just three of those who have already benefitted from the project.

I was very proud to see that three talented youngsters were shortlisted in this years’ Conwy Sports Awards for the Special Achievement Award.  All of whom have a disability or impairment, all of whom have been supported by the link-up between sport and health in North Wales.

Alex, Matthew and Sara all got involved in sports when they were signposted via the Health Disability Sport Pathway by their Physiotherapists. Sounds simple, but it’s been life changing, and it’s still something that is relatively unique.

Sara has always been very sporty. Last year she found a lump in her leg and was diagnosed with bone cancer. Sara underwent chemotherapy and had an operation to replace most of her femur with titanium.  The major operation left Sara needing to learn to walk all over again.  Unfortunately her active and social lifestyle looked set to change.

However, after being signposted by her physiotherapist, Sara got involved in Conwy Thunder Wheelchair Basketball Club. It’s meant that Sara has been able to get back into sport.  She has become part of a team again, playing for fun and also now competitively.

Matthew has always enjoyed and been desperate to take part in sport, but with pain in his joints and it being a struggle for him to run due to Hypermobility and Developmental Coordination Disorder, he would often find it difficult to join in.

After being signposted Matthew got involved in Boccia, then later in Cricket at Colwyn Bay Cricket Club’s new disability session. He was selected to represent the team in Old Trafford, and to his surprise was scouted at the match to play for Wales!

Getting involved in sport has not only improved Matthew’s coordination, but has greatly improved his confidence, and he has done great work in his school to teach them how they can deliver PE more inclusively.

Alex has proven this year that he is one to watch in the world of Wheelchair Basketball! He got involved last year when he was signposted by his physiotherapist. Due to an impairment affecting his right thigh and left hand, Alex found trying to get involved in sport frustrating.

Wheelchair basketball has given him the opportunity to take part in fast paced competitive sport, where he can keep up with all of the other children. After playing for less than a year Alex was selected to the Wales U’15s squad, and helped them to a 4^thplace finish in the British Championships, their highest ever position!

The Health Disability Sport Pathway provided Sara’s, Matthew’s and Alex’s Physiotherapists with the knowledge and tools to get each involved in sport and it has undoubtedly had a huge impact on all three of them.  They are all a real life inspiration!

The Health Disability Sport Pathway is being used across North Wales by a wide range of health professionals to transform the lives of disabled people through the power of sport. With over 1 million opportunities a year for disabled people to get involved in sport across Wales there really is something for everybody.

Keep up to date with the latest news, or get in touch at:

@health_dsw

www.wales.nhs.uk/dsw

BCU.DisabilitySport@wales.nhs.uk

Maintaining Para-Sport Success, By Gerwyn Owen

Gerwyn Owen is Academy Manager for Disability Sport Wales responsible for supporting the elite system and helping Welsh para-athlete success.

Here he gives his view on the IPC Athletics World Championships and what happens after Doha.

There’s been debate after debate about the impact the searing Qatari heat will have on the football World Cup in 2022. Well, our athletes have experienced it first hand, and it’s an extremely tough environment for sport. The high temperatures, low crowds and high humidity all made Doha 2015 a challenging competitive environment for the 11 Welsh athletes who pulled on the GB vest.

But our athletes will not allow their high standards to slip. They once again excelled themselves on the highest of stages.
Welsh athletes contributed to 30% of the GB gold medal total. 10% of the overall medal haul.
We saw World Records, personal bests and impressive performances after injury.

The fact we are maintaining our levels is important. I don’t like to use the term over performing but we have a determination to sustain the success we’ve seen over a number of years.

Elite para-sport is still relatively young but it is growing globally. There were 90 countries represented in Doha and half of them won medals, which gives an indication of how competitive the sport has become. There are more athletes and more systems now across the globe, therefore we need to keep a step ahead of them.

An important factor for us over many years has been developing our academy athletes to a position where they get into the GB system. That way Welsh athletes have the very best chance of success.

 The system is key and we’ve employed three-time Paralympian Nathan Stephens as a Talent Officer to work across Wales identifying new athletes, building a picture and profile of our younger athletes and how we can bring them through the system.

In terms of Rio?
You could say much of the work has been done. The athletes are in the system and they are being successful and gaining all these experiences that will contribute to their chances at the Paralympic Games. Of course, there’s still lots of hard work training and preparation for the athletes, support teams and coaches to be done ahead to secure their seat on that plane to Rio.

For the Disability Sport Wales Academy, we’re looking a few Games ahead now because it’s important for us that success isn’t seen as a one-off. We have to look at talent earlier and set them on a path to the top. It’s a continuous journey for us.

For more information on Disability Sport Wales www.disabilitysportwales.com 

What is Talent? By Owen Lewis

Owen Lewis is a performance advisor at Sport Wales, working to enhance the development and performance of Wales’ talented athletes.

Here he gives an insight into what talent is and how identifying talent earlier can help keep Welsh athletes aiming for the world podium.

Talent is something that is developed through a combination of nature (qualities that you’re born with) and nurture (experiences you go through) and how the two interact with each other. Genetics and gene expression is an inherently complicated area but the practicalities of how to develop talent don’t need to be.

Talent isn’t something you’re born with. You might possess certain qualities that give you an advantage in certain sports but no one is born pre-determined to be the best in the world. The different experiences that you’re exposed to through life, sport and other environments all determine the talent you will develop.

Imagine it a bit like a bucket. In simple terms, nature determines how big your “talent” bucket is and nurture determines how full you fill it. Except it’s a bit more complex that that because the bucket you’re born with can be stretched. The experiences you undergo as a person and an athlete determine how big your bucket of potential will be as well as how full you’re going to fill it.

So experiences are really important. As a youngster, you can’t have too many experiences of sport so long as it’s enjoyable, fun and teaching you the basics. Sport Wales advocates a multi skills approach at a young age as these different experiences offer the best exposure for developing talent. Incidentally, if you weren’t exposed to a multi skills approach as a youngster, it’s never too late to learn although it is harder as we’re generally better at learning skills when we are young.

Mindset

Mindsets and environments are critical in developing talent. Great mindsets help create great environments and great environments create great mindsets – it’s a virtuous circle.

Current research suggests that having a growth rather than a fixed mindset offers a far better chance of developing talent. And it’s possible (although not easy) to teach parents, athletes and coaches to adopt a growth mindset. Growth mindset is characterised by wanting to learn rather than wanting to display mastery. Some kids want to desperately show off a skill but only if they know they are really good at it. Other kids who might try a skill and make a complete mess of it but they don’t care as long as someone is teaching them to get better at it. That latter mindset is the one you want to encourage. Think of encouraging kids to say “I can’t do that skill yet, but I’ll be able to if I practice” rather than “I’m just not good enough to do that skill.”

When it comes to selecting talent, the biggest mistake that’s made is selection based on current performance rather than on future potential. It’s understandable; current performance is black and white whereas future potential is more difficult to define. Do you go for what looks good now or what could look even better in the future?

Age doesn’t mean talent

Take relative age effect, for example, an area which has been thoroughly researched. We often see representative teams or squads packed with young people whose birthdays are September to December – the oldest in the age group. When you’re 11, six months is still a relatively big portion of your life. Older kids in the same year group are often bigger and taller and have the benefit of more experiences. Because they get picked out at an early age, they often then get better coaching, better experiences and maintain or increase the advantage they started with. But who’s to say that a child in the same age group but a few months younger wouldn’t benefit from the same experiences and become better in the long term?

Understanding the history of the athlete is also important. Take golf as an example. In selecting the most talented out of two young golfers it would seem obvious that you pick the player with the lowest handicap. But imagine player A has got a handicap of five and player B has got a handicap of three. Player A has had 150 hours of professional coaching, lots of structured development and very supportive, financially able parents. Player B has played golf 20 times, plays off their own enthusiasm and has no real structure.

If you didn’t know these factors and selected player A as the better talent, gave them more and better coaching, sports science support, competition opportunities and everything else needed to develop they are  going to get better than player B, which seems to justify the selection. Who knows what child two could have achieved though?!

The safety net

So in terms of selecting talent, maybe we need to cast the net a little wider and leave it wider for a little longer. Or at the very least, leave a safety net in place so that good environments and experiences are still available to those who aren’t picked out as talented. You don’t want them to think at that young age that that’s as far as they are going to get because they could still be a future superstar.

It’s also worth remembering that physical characteristics aren’t the only predictors of the ability to develop talent. Character is also extremely important. So it’s worth considering that if a young athlete is willing, ready and keen to put in the hard work, go with that rather than the physical ability.

Elite Competition

Competition on the world level is now so intense, the press to succeed so great, that the whole of the athlete’s journey is important. It is why working deeper in our sporting system is key and potentially where the competitive advantage lies. If we can make the experiences athletes get in the early stages of their development better than their counterparts in other countries then we can enhance their potential and make them more likely to win medals. We are working closely with UK Sport and our home nation colleagues to put in place a pathway of experiences that will give athletes the best chance of reaching their potential.

It’s important to start with the end in mind. What does it take to win at the highest level and how can we work backwards from this? Consider that the same end point can be reached in various different ways and from different start points. There isn’t a prescriptive way of developing talent. And while this doesn’t make things easy, it does make sense. Talent is a unique combination of traits and how these interact with the experiences you are exposed to so a different mix of characteristics can achieve the same point of excellence.

What’s the take home message? Talent isn’t something that’s just there, it has to be developed. It’s a journey, not an attribute.

Maximising the grassroots impact of Rugby World Cup, by John Williams

John Williams, Head of Communications for the Welsh Rugby Union, talks plans to grow the game at school and club level following the Rugby World Cup.

 

There is no doubt that thousands of youngsters will be inspired by the incredible spectacle of sporting drama and excellence the Rugby World Cup is bound to deliver.

Here in Wales we are ready to welcome the children inspired by the heroics on the field right into the national sport of Wales.

The Welsh Rugby Union and Sport Wales have been working together on a strategy which will ensure those young Sam Warburton wannabee’s will be able to get involved quickly and with responsible guidance.

In recent years our two organisations have agreed to support a programme which initially introduced some 43 Club Hub Officers into schools around Wales.

They delivered so effectively on their remit of increasing participation in schools and clubs that the number of officers is being boosted to more than 80.

The WRU has also introduced a team of Rugby Coordinators to ensure the children seeking to join their local clubs are properly initiated into junior rugby.

It is a strategy aimed at providing a seamless transition so that the wave of Rugby World Cup interest can be fully capitalised on and managed in the months and years ahead.

The Hub Officers are tasked with encouraging youngsters to take up the game and enjoy the thrill of being a part of it.

The WRU is then focusing on making sure those children who move on to their local clubs will learn the standards expected of anyone who takes up rugby.

Children will not only learn the game, but they will also be taught how to respect opponents and referees as part of the core values inherent in the sport of rugby.

This strategic approach championed by Sport Wales means more children will get the benefits of a competitive sporting environment combined with the undoubted boost to their basic health and physical literacy.

Moving on through the system the three hundred plus rugby clubs in Wales afford participants the opportunity to enjoy a sporting hobby for life.

There are plenty of clubs and teams to join and a number of ways to ensure that you can be part of rugby for life.

Once your playing career is over you can coach, referee, spectate or work actively in a club behind the scenes as a volunteer.

Training is available for all the core areas of expertise related to the game so the WRU will help you find the skillset which best suits you.

The Rugby World Cup is one of the biggest events on the world sporting calendar and its impact will be felt in every home and on every High Street in Wales.

The WRU and Sport Wales will make sure that here the benefits last far beyond the final game of the tournament.

As the Webb Ellis Trophy is lifted by the winning team captain the work can really begin to give Wales and its children a real legacy which helps grow the roots of rugby in communities across the nation.

So when your child starts playing a backyard game of rugby – as Sam Warburton, George North or Gethin Jenkins did – you can confidently encourage him or her to take that big step into school and club rugby where a welcome is waiting.

 

A Sporting Workforce Fit for Everyone, by Sarah Powell

With the Welsh football team creeping closer to qualification, Sport Wales CEO, Sarah Powell, looks at the importance of the team behind the team for future Welsh sporting success.

Gareth Bale had one.

As did Aaron Ramsey and Ashley Williams.

Every member of that history-making squad had one. In fact, they still have.

And what is it that I refer to?

Someone who inspired them to start playing sport in the first place.

Many, like me, went straight to social media in a buzz of excitement the second the referee blew his whistle in Nicosia. I was lucky enough to be in Nicosia (a more than well-planned holiday) and the atmosphere was electric.

But 140 characters just aren’t enough to tell the story as well as the picture that flooded my newsfeed. That moment in Cyprus when Gareth Bale ran towards the touchline to share his joy with the manager, team and backroom staff who are making dreams come true for our nation’s football fans.

Most of us will pass a sports field, running track or park on a regular basis and glance at the javelin being thrown, the rugby ball being kicked or the tennis ball being struck.

Often we don’t see the coach, or the umpire, or the PE teacher or the volunteer selling programmes. Whatever their role, these unsung heroes usually blend into the background. They carry on their job unnoticed and often for no other return than the simple satisfaction of being part of something.

Not that they seek recognition or celebration, but they deserve it.

Of course, it’s not just about volunteers. Sport has a highly skilled and educated workforce that supports our elite talents onto podiums. We know that high quality coaching, sports science, medicine and other key roles provide the ammunition that drives success. I’m positive that without this mix of skill and experience, the record breaking 36 medals in Glasgow would have been just another dream.

The Welsh sporting workforce has more than doubled since 2008, from around 110,000 to a record high of around 250,000. Forty per cent of young people and 39% of adults – up from 27% and 29% respectively – now take part in sport three times a week or more. The figures speak for themselves and show an obvious correlation – the bigger the workforce, the more opportunities there are for people to get hooked on sport, and stay hooked.

These levels are already record-breaking for Wales. But we are hungry for more.

We have big ambitions to grow our workforce further. We want 75% of children hooked on sport by 2026. I know this is ambitious but we achieve nothing in sport without having a vision.

When it comes to our workforce, at whatever level, it’s not just about numbers. It’s about having people with the knowledge and skills to do the job successfully.

It’s about having a workforce that is fit to make everyone in Wales a champion. And by champion I mean giving children the skills, confidence and motivation to be hooked on sport, as well as standing side-by-side with top Welsh stars such as Geraint Thomas or Jazz Carlin to provide their own inspiration.

We need the very best people running leisure centres and on boards of sports bodies. We need umpires on our sports fields and teachers in the school yard. They all make up our sporting nation.

We have to plan for the future because the world is changing around us. Technology, social trends and people’s time are changing how people access sport, and play it. Future forms of our traditional sports will need coaches with new skills and referees who understand and can interpret new rules. We will need to work with governing bodies and clubs to ensure we resource and invest in our workforce because it will influence our success in the future.

And we cannot let the usual barriers plague us anymore – to be less likely to coach or play sport because you are female, from a black or minority ethnic background, have a disability or come from a deprived community is unacceptable. We must look at how we are going to reach out to and work with these communities to drive up opportunities to take part. We need people who will be truly innovative and bring new ideas to the table.

Sport Wales has plans to support the workforce. Whether that’s giving volunteers on the ground the tools they need to make things as easy as possible or making coach education easier to access. We want to change the culture of how we look after our volunteers as well as take our experienced athletes and turn them into top coaches. These are all areas that we will focus on going forward.

Now isn’t the time to sit back. If you have time, skills, enthusiasm and a desire to help us keep improving sport then you can be a part of the team too. Every single person will help take us towards our targets. We need you to join our army of volunteers.

As with the Welsh football team, it’s time for us to make the dream a reality.

To nominate a volunteer or coach for a Wales Sport Award visit www.walessportawards.co.uk

My journey to coaching medal-winning gymnastics, by Tracey Skirton

My journey coaching gymnastics has spanned over 25 years. I started myself as a gymnast, falling in love with the sport that would, unbeknown to me, remain a huge part of my life.  Now as the National Women’s Artistic Coach for Wales, I am often asked how I got here.

Passing my coaching qualifications opened new opportunities for me as a young coach. I set up a gymnastics club at the age of just 17 in my hometown of Bath. The more experience I gained, the more I wanted to learn. I loved watching other coaches teach their gymnasts, constantly absorbing new tricks, tips and lessons to pass on to them. As my gymnasts progressed so did my coaching opportunities, which in turn has taken me all over the world, joining Team Wales and Team GB at many international competitions.

Part of my job is to spot the talent in younger gymnasts, coaching them as they progress through the Welsh Gymnastics performance pathway. Olivia Bryl was herself a promising gymnast, who I coached and took to the World Championships. I spotted her coaching potential and love of gymnastics and knew she would be an asset to the team. She remained within the sport after retiring from a successful career, progressing as a coach to her current role as National Junior Coach. She has worked alongside me, at the gymnastics academy based at Sport Wales National Centre, ever since. Mentoring Olivia as she coaches our younger gymnasts is a constant learning curve for both her and I; teaching adults is very different to children. It’s vital to develop elite-level coaches for our sport though, so I am happy to surround myself with a passionate workforce team, that learn from each other’s strengths.

Throughout my career, I have coached many gymnasts to Commonwealth level, including Sam bailey, Lynette Lisle, Lizzie Beddoe, Raer Theaker and Angel Romaeo. Watching our home-grown Women’s Artistic team win bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was certainly a career highlight.

There are so many exciting athletes showing promise this year. Taking our rising junior star, Maisie Methuen, to the European Youth Olympics Festival in July was another highlight. Maisie took silver for her beam routine; a first for a Welsh gymnast. However, be prepared to face disappointments - there will not always be medals. A good coach needs to be able to support their athlete through the highs and lows of their career.

The best coaches I’ve met along the way have the passion, commitment and respect for their athlete’s best interests. They spot talent easily and nurture it. My advice to young coaches keen to progress would be to immerse yourself in your sport. Watch, listen and learn from those you admire and understand that skills develop with time. What works for one gymnast won’t for another - you have to be their mentor, teacher, confidant and leader.

I love to see the children fulfil their dreams. From the minute they get their first kit, to the moment they get their first medal. For many of our elite gymnasts who train with me six days a week, the key ingredient in their success is that they still love the sport. They thrive on the challenge to better their skills. As an elite coach you have to let them step into the spotlight, trusting that their training will pay off.

Coach education courses run frequently within Welsh Gymnastics and with the help of organisations such as Sport Wales, Sports Coach UK and UK Sport, expanding a sporting elite workforce in Wales is not only possible but already in motion.

Volunteering – What’s to Gain?, Carwyn Young

Heading up sports volunteering at Sport Wales and involvement in countless community sports clubs makes Carwyn Young well placed to talk about the importance of volunteering.

Here, he gives his thoughts on why we need to make sports volunteering a coveted part of everyday life.

I believe that a person’s time is their most precious commodity.  Why else would we have the sayings "I haven't got the time", "How much time have we got?" and "I had a great time!" 

It could be argued that in today's society, getting someone to commit their time for no financial reward is one of our greatest challenges.  Welcome to the world of sports volunteering.

I have volunteered in sport for most of my life.  Roles I've undertaken include club treasurer, club chairperson, swimming technical official, bowls coach and I currently have the responsibility for selling refreshments at my bowls club.  It's probably not surprising that I became a volunteer as my earliest memories of my late father include him being a member of countless committees (as most Welshmen appeared to be at that time) and always attending meetings. So you could say it was in my blood.

However, society has changed, and getting people's time has become an increasingly competitive market in the 24/7 world we live in today. People's expectations have increased and, as individuals, we are always looking for the best return on both our money and time.

So with the odds seemingly stacked against sports volunteering, how are we going to encourage more people to give up their time, and importantly what will they gain?

Three core principles will be at the heart of how the sporting sector in Wales approaches sports volunteering:

1. Volunteers know and understand  exactly what is expected of them

2. Volunteers are developed, supported and valued

3. The mutual benefits of volunteering are clear to individuals and organisations

What I'd like to do is share some of my volunteering experiences and how I see these principles being brought to life.

“Volunteers know and understand exactly what is expected of them”:

We probably all know organisations that have said they need ‘more volunteers’.  Quite simply that is no longer acceptable.  We want sports clubs to clearly state what roles they want people to undertake, what it involves and the time commitment.

My recent experience of this in action includes looking for someone to check and approve a set of swimming club accounts for the annual meeting. After clearly stating what type of task we needed help with I discovered one of our swimmer’s parents was the chief auditor of Tata Steel Europe! 

On two occasions I've received text messages, one asking if I could officiate at my former swimming club’s sprint meet and another looking for volunteers to weed the ditches or paint the fence around the bowling club on a Saturday morning. On both occasions the brief was clear. This meant a decision could be made on whether I could fit it in around other commitments or plans I had. And it turned out I could.

“Volunteers are developed, supported and valued”

There are clear differences between being developed and being supported.  I see being developed as things like structured training or workshops. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to attend a number the latest seminars, including one on tax for sports clubs.  I like the opportunity to mix with people from other sports and there’s always something new to learn.

Supporting volunteers is potentially more challenging as it requires a person being open to being supported and also a support mechanism being available.  How many of us have been given a role or task to undertake in a sports club with little or no explanation of what you need to do or potentially how it could be done? I know I have. Having an introduction to what a role involves perhaps via a handover from the former post holder, and a nominated individual to ask questions of, can make all the difference in feeling supported.

How volunteers can be valued can range from a simple ‘Thank You’ to the Wales Sports Awards, and both are just as important as each other.  Volunteers don’t automatically expect to be rewarded or recognised for their contribution. However, they should never be taken for granted and something as simple as providing refreshments, acknowledgment at club dinners /AGMs goes a long way.

“The mutual benefits of volunteering are clear to individuals and organisations”

Clubs have traditionally been grateful for anyone to volunteer, which has on occasions resulted in individuals being given roles they may not be the right person for.  A potentially controversial statement, but I’m sure most of us could think of examples where this has happened. This may be the result of clubs undervaluing what they actually offer individuals who volunteer. 

People who volunteer at clubs develop skills such as communication, decision making and planning, all of which could increase an individual’s employability.  There are also considerable networking opportunities both socially and professionally.  Sports clubs also provide a social outlet for individuals, create a sense of community and make a positive contribution to that individual’s health & well-being.

Whilst it’s the competitors that take pride of place at events such as Commonwealth and Olympic Games, rugby and football world cups, The Open Golf Championship and Ironman Wales, it’s easy to forget that not one of these events would take place without the army of volunteers and officials that support them.  Judges, referees and Umpires at International level all started somewhere, and chances are it was their local sports club.  Administrators also have the opportunity to progress through the governance structures of their sports to National and International Boards.

Hopefully what is clear is that the individual volunteer has the opportunity to benefit considerably from giving their time to their club/sport and that clubs should be confident in the opportunities they provide and aim to get the right people in the right roles, even if it means saying no to start with.

When I consider my time in sport as both a player and volunteer, they continue to be some of the best times of my life.  I’ve met some great people and had some memorable experiences.  My volunteering roles and contribution has changed over the years and it will continue to do so. What is most important is that I will continue to give my time, even if it’s just a little bit of it, and I’ll continue to gain experiences and memories along the way.   So why don’t you join me by volunteering at your local club?

For more visit www.sport.wales/coaching& www.walessportawards.co.uk