Come and play goalball

DSC_3300_web_large_280_200_tl_53_c1_c_cNottinghamshire Sheriffs Goalball Club are running weekly sessions for juniors between the ages of 12 – 18 years of age at Harvey Hadden Sports Village. The sessions which run between 5.30 – 7pm on a Thursday during term time, will provide juniors with the opportunity to learn the key skills needed to play this exciting Paralympic sport.
Goalball is a team sport which was originally designed for people with visual impairments, but can be played by anyone. A game of goalball is made up of two teams of three blindfolded players, who throw a ball (with bells in it) to the other end of the court trying to get it into the oppositions goal. You have to use your hearing to track where the ball is going and be a little brave when trying to stop the ball. Goalball is great for fitness, communication and coordination.

Liam’s story

Liam is a visually impaired student at the University of Nottingham and a member of the Nottinghamshire Sheriffs Goalball club. I want to tell you about my first year as a Sheriffs member and why more of you should try our exciting sport.
“A game of goalball is made up of two teams of three blindfolded players, who throw a ball (with bells in it) from end to end of the court trying to get it into the oppositions goal. You have to use your hearing to track where the ball is going and be a little brave when trying to stop the ball. I love it because it’s fast, amazing fun and you also get to meet some fantastic people!
I started playing when I was 14 at school and the Sheriffs were a reason why I decided to come to University in Nottingham, as I knew I would get a chance to play and train regularly.
I went to my first training session at the end of my first week at University and knew straight away that I’d made the right choice. The players and coaches were so friendly and welcoming and after a couple of hours of training I already felt like part of the team.
“Over the next couple of months I spent almost every Saturday training, travelling to and from sessions with my teammates. I have also played for the intermediate team in a number of competitions all over the country. Although competing can be a bit nerve wracking, I really enjoy working as a team and the camaraderie that the players have on court. The hard work is made all the more worthwhile when we come home with a medal in our back pocket!
The club has three different teams within the club: novice; intermediate and elite and as I have quickly learned, there is the opportunity to progress up through the teams if you put the hard work in.
In Goalball I’ve found a sport that I absolutely love, because as a visually impaired person it’s a sport that I can play as part of a team. There are plenty of opportunities to find out more about goalball and the Sheriffs and I would encourage anyone to take one of them! We always welcome new players and we would love to see some of you at one of our junior or club training sessions over the next year.”

Find out more

You can find out more about the session, club and the sport  by contacting Kirsty Allen on 0115 9706 806.