Team Surrey is delighted to be hosting its first ever DisABILITY Week starting from 14th November 2022 where all University of Surrey students are invited to take part in a range of disability sports for free.
The DisABILITY Week sessions are open to all University of Surrey students with both disabled and non-disabled students invited to come along and try out the different sports on offer.
The sessions will be led by Team Surrey coaches, student activators and external coaches and will be taking place throughout the week of the 14th, with the addition of a further session on 24th November.
Here’s a look at the timetable…
Sport Descriptions
Swimming: There are a range of categories in which athletes can compete at a high level. Swimmers can participate with disabilities such as short stature, loss of limb and visual impairments.
Coached by: Student Activator
Archery: Para-Archery has a classification system to create a level playing field. The equipment and nature of the shot can be changed, and it can be either sitting or standing.
Coached by: Team Surrey coach and student
Wheelchair Basketball: The majority of the rules and regulations remain the same with the exception of dribbling. Players must either hold the ball or place it in their lap and push no more than twice before dribbling with the ball.
Coached by: David Kingstone (Head Coach and Team Manager for Woking Blackhawks Wheelchair Basketball team)
Mountaineering: The sport can be adapted for those with disabilities and extra safety measures are put in place to ensure blind climbers are as safe as possible.
Coached by: Team Surrey
Wheelchair American Football: Suitable for both wheelchair users and non-wheelchair users. The game is played on an indoor basketball-sized court and can be described as a 7-a-side fast-paced version of American Football.
Coached by: Gee Griffiths (Wheelchair American Football Commission Lead for the UK)
Squash 57: This is an adapted version of Squash and is played with a bigger racket, bouncier balls and longer rallies.
Coached by: Student Activator
Blind Football: An adapted version of Futsal where players are required to wear a blindfold. The goalkeepers of the team can be either sighted or partially sighted and provide the main communication for the team. For players to locate the ball, there are mental panels stitched in to create noise as it rolls on the ground.
Coached by: Student Activator
Badminton: Para-Badminton is played in the same way as traditional Badminton and changes may be made depending on the severity and type of disability. Players are categorised to create the most even playing field possible.
Coached by: Coach from Para-Badminton England
Goalball: An indoor 3-a-side sport played by those that are blind or partially sighted as well as being inclusive to those with sight due to everyone being required to wear a blindfold for the duration. The game is split into attack and defence with the aim to score goals by throwing the ball (containing bells) along the floor while the opposition used their bodies to try and block the ball.
Coached by: Robin Faulkner (Founder of the Croysutt Warriors based in Croydon)
Blind Tennis: The game is played with a standard Blind Tennis audible ball and players in the B1 category must wear a blindfold for the duration of play. The server must call ‘Ready?’ and wait for the opposition to reply ‘Yes’ before serving the ball. The number of bounces permitted before a point is scored varies depending on category.
Coached by: Navneet Maan (Director of Tennis at Surrey Sports Park)
ShowDown: Originally designed for those with a visual impairment but anyone can play. It is a fast-paced sport played between two people on opposite sides of a table using flat paddle-type bats. The aim is to score in the opposition’s goal by batting the ball off the side or along the table and under the central screen.
Coached by: Robin Faulkner (Founder of the Croysutt Warriors based in Croydon)
Sitting Volleyball: A fast-paced sport with changes including a smaller court, lower net and players being closer together. The game is truly inclusive by enabling both able-bodied and disabled players to participate.
Coached by: Rachael & Dudi (Higher Education Volleyball Officers)
Visually Impaired Cricket: Played with a combination of blind and partially sighted players on one team. The wickets are larger while the game is played with a size 3 football with ball bearings. Blind batsmen cannot be stumped out and their runs are doubled.
Coached by: Surrey Visually Impaired County Cricket Club