BLIND SPORTS NSW September 2016 Edition SIGN UP FOR SOCCER SEASON WITH RAIDERS Last year was the first season that the AWD Futsal league saw a vision impaired team representing the Wetherill Park Raiders Futsal Club. The team made it to the Grand Final and narrowly lost to multiple time champions Ryde Phoenix 2-3. This year we are spanning the state for the best vision impaired futsal/football players to again challenge for the championship. Sign ups for the Football NSW State Futsal Championships need to be done by Friday September 9th so go to MYFOOTBALLCLUB.com.au Choose Raiders Futsal Club. The State Championships will run from Oct 8th to 9th this year and then the season proper starts on October 15th. It is a competitive and fun team to be a part of so sign up today. The league is mixed and open to players 15yrs and older to compete in. If you are under 15yrs old we still want to hear from you as Football NSW will be running multiple training camp / game days in areas this season supported by local association clubs.
GOALBALL AUSSIE BELLES HEAD TO RIO FOR PARALYMPIC GAMES The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will not have any Russian athletes in any sport due to the banning of the Russian Paralympic Committee in a benchmark decision. As a result of this ruling Australia have 9 more athletes heading to the competition including our Australian Women Belles Goalball Team. NSW team members Jenny Blow, Tyan Taylor & Michelle Rzepecki have made the final team with 3 members from QLD being Meica Christensen, Nicole Esdaile and the newest Paralympian Raissa Martin who replaces SA athlete Rachel Henderson who is now pursuing cycling. Also our thoughts are with Elise Kerle from NSW who narrowly missed team selection off the back of her IBSA World Games appearance in Korea where our Belles had their most successful campaign finishing 4th to become the alternate team once Russia was banned from competition. Follow all the action from the Goalball on channel seven 2 or through the 7 LIVE app on your phone / tablet. You can also tune into Disability Sports Network during the 2016 Paralympic Games. Australia will play Turkey, Ukraine, China & Canada who they defeated in the round games during IBSA world games then lost to in the Bronze medal game. Updated results can also be found by going to www.paralympic.org during the games for all the latest news.
YOUTH VISION CAMP SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE TILL SEPTEMBER 17TH Go to www.sportandrecreation.nsw.gov.au/facilities/medicalandconsentform Enter following info: Booking #500460, start date: 04/10/16, Org: Blind Sports NSW
BLIND SPORTS NSW Page 4 2016 Australian Goalball Championships Off the successful 2011 edition of the Australian Goalball Championships which saw youth competition return and over 120 people involved from multi states at The Kings School its now time to return and seek a new challenge for the athletes of the NSW Goalball Squad. The Hon Julie Owens MP will open The Championships with the CEO of Sport NSW Darren Simpson which for the first time in the 36 year history of the event will feature teams from Korea and America who will compete against our Australian State teams in the divisions of Junior, Youth, Women s and Men s competition. The event will feature current and former Paralympic Goalball players so if you are keen to see the best of the best come to The Kings School starting 9am Thursday, September 29th through Sunday October 2nd where the 4 GOLD medal games will be played from 9am to 1pm. NSW Goalball & Blind Sports NSW would like to sincerely thank our major event sponsors who include 3M, The Kings School, Comfortdelgro Cabcharge, The PA People and the NSW State Government who supported a grant for this event to be possible. You can support by spectating or volunteering for the event. Please contact Tami on 0431268561 or by email at nswgoalball@gmail.com you can also visit our website and sign up as a volunteer by going to www.goalball.com.au and clicking on the volunteer banner in the bottom right of the home page. We are specifically seeking canteen staff, mini van drivers and goal judges. During this event NSW Goalball will also host an international coaching workshop ran by the current Paralympic Men s coach Matthew Boyle and an International referee clinic ran by Level 3 course conductor Dena from England. For more on Goalball stay tuned to channel 7 (2) during the Rio Paralympic Games or go to www.paralympic.org
BLIND SPORTS NSW Page 5 PLAY BLIND CRICKET IN 2016/17 Have you ever dreamed of playing cricket on the Sydney Cricket Ground, how about playing for NSW or event Australia, well now is the perfect opportunity to pursue your dream and step up to play in the upcoming season of Blind Cricket. The first game of the season is scheduled for Sunday, September 18th at 11am at the home of Blind Cricket in NSW Henley Park situated right next to Vision Australia in Enfield. There may also be transport available from Strathfield train station for new players if required. Come and join us for a BBQ and soft drink while enjoying a bat and bowl while meeting new friends and having a great time. To book your spot this season please contact Leanne Fitzpatrick at leannebcnsw@gmail.com or call Mark on 0418889188. Blind Cricket NSW are also seeking expressions of interest for volunteer umpires who receive a nominal match day fee for their support during the season. If you are a junior player, Blind Cricket NSW will soon kick off programs across Sydney Metro and Hunter areas where you can try Blind Cricket in a fun program through Cricket NSW, Blind Sports NSW & Blind Cricket NSW in the Wentworthville, Newcastle and Strathfield areas to promote participation and opportunities through youth cricket.
Page 6 September 2016 Edition GOLFERS PREPARE FOR NSW OPEN AT BANKSTOWN The 2016 NSW Blind Golf Open Championship will be staged for the first time at Bankstown Golf Club on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 September, 2016. Bankstown Golf Club is known for having one of the best golf courses in Sydney and NSW and boasts tricky greens and some tight fairways with a few interesting water carry s. This years Open has only attracted a small but experienced field of approximately 15 blind and vision impaired golfers from NSW, Victoria and South Australia with 4 of these players already being selected to represent Australia at the upcoming 2016 ISPS HANDA World Blind Golf Championships to be held in Japan in November, 2016. Defending NSW Open Champion, Graham Coulton has said that he and the other players are really looking forward to the challenge of taking on the conditions at Bankstown for the first time. Tee Off on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 September will be from 10:30 am and spectators are encouraged to come along and see how blind and vision impaired golfers play the game. For any further information, please contact Graham Coulton at Blind Golf NSW on telephone number: 0412 992418 or email: grahamgcoulton@gmail.com
Page 7 September 2016 Edition NEW WEBSITE GOES LIVE SEPTEMBER 15TH On Monday September 15th the new website for Blind Sports NSW will go LIVE and will assist people with a vision impairment and blindness to find new sporting and recreational opportunities at their finger tips. The site will allow you to renew memberships, pay for sport fees, uniforms, equipment and events in the online store while learn more about a sport you want to try like maybe Hockey, Paratriathlon or maybe an existing sport like Cricket or Football. The site will also feature downloadable classification information and grant funding submission forms that will streamline the process of asking for assistance from Blind Sports NSW. Ofcourse there are many more great features but why don t you check it out for yourself from September 15th. INTRODUCTING KRISTY BERTHELOT, NEW PROGRAM MANAGER Blind Sports NSW are very excited to announce that Kristy Berthelot will be joining our team in the position of Program Manager. Kristy comes to us with great experience in the areas of Program Management, Branding and Social Media - Communication strategy from organisations including Tennis Australia. Kristy will have a main focus on media through our social platforms and new website in addition to programs which focus on youth and recruitment of new participants with a vision impairment. Please help me in welcoming Kristy to the Blind Sports NSW association.
(CEO) Murray Elbourn Blind Sports NSW MEMO FROM THE CEO With so much currently happening at Blind Sport NSW, its sometimes difficult on what to focus on. This month is the Rio Paralympics and with that will come people curious about playing inclusion sport with adaptions. Spread the word and tell your friends about our great inclusion leagues for Futsal and Touch Football or our traditional blind sports like Cricket and Goalball. The more social media is used the more people we ll have joining our Blind Sports Family! CONTACT US Email: blindsportsnsw@gmail.com Web: www.blindsportsnsw.com.au (membership form) Phone: (Kristy Berthelot, Program Manager 0413 376583) (Wednesday & Thursday) Phone: (Murray Elbourn, CEO) 0427 186734 Social Media: Search Blindsportsnsw THANK YOU SPONSORS & PARTNERS