If the answer is yes why not go along to the next training session on Saturday 17^th December 2011 and see what is involved.

This training session will be held in the following venue:

EASTERHOUSE SPORTS CENTRE,

Auchinlea Road,

Easterhouse,

Glasgow,

G34 9HQ

Training will start at 10am prompt also bring plenty of drinks and lunch for yourselves.

Adrian wants even more players to attend to gain an introduction and further experience of the game.

If you are able, bring along a sports wheelchair.

If there are any questions please contact Adrian on:                     07577 709 600

If you are going to go along can you please confirm with Adrian on the number above or by email: adrian.n.kennedy@hotmail.co.uk

CLICK HERE to read about previous training sessions

Well done Michael Kerr, another fine example of being an SIS Ambassador and Paralympian

Please let us know if you have seen other billboards with Michael on them.

I had played, well turned up at wheelchair basketball a number of years ago and did so regularly for a number of years but I am not the fittest person by a long way.

I wasn’t able to be there at the start of the taster session but when I arrived there was a fairly large group of people taking part in different training drills. I have seen similar drills at basketball training but the main difference was that everyone had to be aware of passing the ball backwards and it was an actual rugby ball. This seemed somewhat alien to what I had seen before at basketball as the ball can be passed forward and it is obviously a basketball. Dropping the ball makes an interesting experience as you have no idea which direction it will bounce so careful passing is one skill required for this game.

I was offered a couple of times to swap into a sports chair and join in but I was happy to observe from the end of the court.

After watching for thirty minutes or so I was coaxed to try a sports chair and try some of the skills. Transferring from an everyday chair to a sports chair with a guard round the front is not an easy transfer so this was done with some difficulty, not a graceful transfer at all. Having not been in a sport chair for a number of years, pushing, turning and stopping was interesting but I soon got into the swing of it.

Scoring a try and kicking a conversion, yes a conversion was a new concept. There are goals just the same as on a rugby pitch, only smaller and you use what is called a tee to hold the ball which can be adjusted to the height to suit you. The aim is to hit the ball over the crossbar with a clenched fist or by your wrist. We all took numerous shots with some people more successful than others.

We then progressed to having a game. Oh what a difference this made because as soon as I seen someone with the ball I went shooting off up the court as quick as possible to quickly realise that I had to be behind the person with the ball. I then had to dash back to position to receive a pass. Now what do I do was the first thought and within a second of getting the ball I had been tackled.

Playing this game you wear a bib with two long strips (tags) attached via Velcro to the shoulders. If you have the ball, an opposing player will try to remove a tag, hold it in the air for the referee to see and this is classed as a tackle. Once tackled, the team gets back into position and play commences.

Overall I had a great time, I felt very welcome and it was good to get back in a sports chair and take part in some physical exercise.

I plan on attending the next taster session in Scotland, the dates and venue of which will be posed on this Blog.

More information about Wheelchair Rugby League can be found HERE

If you are interested in attending these taster sessions or want to know more about the sport you can contact Adrian Kennedy on: 07577 709 600 or by email: adrian.n.kennedy@hotmail.co.uk

For anyone looking for more information on disability sport there are a wide range of friendly and welcoming organisations out there. As always contact the SIS office if you would like any assistance with finding out more.

The new venue for this training session is:

TOLLCROSS LIESURE CENTRE

350 WELLSHOT ROAD

GLASGOW

G32 7QR

If you own your own sports chair, please bring it along to assist for the moment.

Please bring plenty to drink and also bring something for your lunch.

If you require any more information, please contact Adrian by email on: adrian.n.kennedy@hotmail.co.uk or by phone on: 07577 709 600

If you are interested in Wheelchair Basketball why not give it a try, you never know until you try it.

Click on the link below or on the image to view the flyer for the event.

Wheelchair Basketball in Renfrewshire

Living in Scotland the demographics were against Michael as the competitive teams were all based south of the border but this didn’t put him off. He has travelled an enormous amount of miles training and playing he was finally selected for the GB Wheelchair Rugby Long squad in 2006.

Training as much as possible was something that Michael did and this was to pay off this year when he was selected for the actual GB squad.

Travelling astronomical miles Michael has played all over the UK as well as round the world.

Michael has just been recognised in the Coloplast Super Series as ‘Low Pointer of the Season’ a fantastic achievement for such a dedicated player.

We would like to wish Michael all the best with his career in the GB squad and look forward to hearing more from him.

Pictures of Michael in action to follow

You may be aware of the Cycle for Clober farm event beginning next week ,with SIS Project Coordinator Shaun Dargan and Athlete Kenny Herriot cycling and hand cycling across Scotland. The guys will be visiting the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injury Unit on Sunday 7th to meet with well wishers and supporters. The team will be setting off from the unit at around 2:30pm for anyone wishing to give their best to the team.

If you can’t make it along why not make a donation by texting SISC52 £3 to 70070.

The BBC have been involved this week by assisting the guys and a short documentary will capture their efforts along the way.

More to come as they set off from the Mull of Galloway in the early hours of Monday 8th August.

Good luck guys!

Why not go along and see what is available. Sports included are: Archery, Athletics, Basketball, Boccia, Bowls, Football, Racket Sports and Shinty.

Click on the poster to see it in full or click on the link.

Summer Sports Camp Flyer

Click on the following link or poster for more information:

SDS Summer Camp 2011 Information

Click on the following link or poster for the application form:

Summer Camp Application Form

In a bid to raise funds and awareness for SIS’s exciting new project, Clober Farm, Project Co-ordinator Shaun Dargan and Kenny Herriot, Spinal Injuries Scotland member and one of the world’s leading wheelchair athletes and motivational speaker have been challenged to an 8 day cycle event, touring the length of Scotland. Whilst on this journey Shaun and Kenny will be stopping in at various sites to let people know why they are doing the challenge and why a place like Clober Farm is so very important to those with a Spinal Cord Injury.

It is planned that Clober Farm, near Milngavie, will be converted into a state of the art centre for those who have suffered a spinal injury as well as a showcase for modern integrated design of a functioning living space adapted for those in with Spinal Cord Injuries of all levels. Working with architects, designers, planners, local authorities and wheelchair users, SIS envisage Clober Farm to show how existing products and techniques can be used to provide an adaptive environment that is suitable for everyone. The charity needs to raise funds to complete this project.

Shaun and Kenny will set off on August 8^th from Mull of Galloway to Loch Ness, by way of John o’ Groats, Orkney and Shetland.

Kenny Herriot has participated in events worldwide such as “The Great Lemon Ride – 4000 miles from San Francisco to New York and has been voted Aberdeen’s sportsman of the year three times. He says: “When Spinal Injuries Scotland asked me to take part in this event there is no way I could decline. Spinal Injuries Scotland has been great support to me since 2000 when a motorbike accident left me paralysed from the waist down. Also, handcycling is a great way to see Scotland’s countryside and I’m just hoping that the weather goes easy on us”

Shaun Dargan, Project Coordinator of SIS isn’t one of the worlds leading athletes, he is just a normal guy who cycles from time to time that loves a challenge. He has a passion for making Clober Farm a centre of excellence for adaptive living whilst still being something people could replicate in their own homes. He says, “I’ve seen Kenny race and was really excited when I was given an opportunity to cycle with him. I have never taken on a challenge quite like this but I’m sure Kenny and I will make a great team, not only in terms of the cycle but of getting SIS’s message of education and awareness across Scotland!” Donations can be made via the SIS office detailed below, or through http://www.justgiving.com/siscrosscountrycycle