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Now that the Winter Paralympics have come to a close in Pyeongchang, we’re anticipating a rise in interest in parasports — and that’s great! Participating in disability sport (whether it’s a hobby or professionally) has so many benefits, especially for disabled individuals.
So if you’re looking to join a sports team but you’re not sure how then let’s take a look at your options.
Why should I get into sport?
Taking part in sport can be very beneficial for you physically, mentally, and socially. It gives you the opportunity to work on your fitness levels and learn new sets of skills.
Sport also gives people the chance to meet up with other like-minded individuals who have similar interests. This can be particularly good for people with disabilities.
Disability sport varies just as much as traditional sport; there are different activities with different skill levels and different aims. Whether you’re a complete novice or looking to go pro, there will be a team for you.
Similarly, if you’re looking to try different kinds of sports whether it’s in as part of a team or independently, there are lots going on for you to try. Parasports are an excellent way to meet new people and keep fit at the same time.
Getting into sport can really help with social aspects of life.
Where is my nearest disability sports club?
Thankfully, there are a lot of tools online that will help you find your local teams. Whether you’re looking for football, wheelchair rugby, basketball, curling, or goalball, there are lots on offer throughout the country.
The Parasport website is a good place to start. You can take a look at a whole host of different sports and find the closest clubs to you just by entering your postcode.
However, if you’ve still not decided which sport you’d like to take part in, then perhaps a quick visit to the BBC website will help. They’ve got pages and pages of information on different sports for you to learn about.
On the other hand, you might just be looking for somewhere to exercise that can facilitate your needs and offer you good accessibility and variety when it comes to working out. The English Federation of Disability Sport has a list of inclusive gyms throughout the country where disabled people can go and exercise and know that their needs are taken care of.
There are so many different sports to try, and there’s are clubs all over the country where you can meet other people who are just starting out too.
Clubs we’ve worked with before
Here at Yorkshire Care Equipment, we’re always keen to get involved and support local disability sports team in whatever way we can. We recently became the new kit sponsors for Harrogate Gateway, a disability football club currently playing in the FA Ability Counts league.
They have several teams full of players ranging in age and ability. They train on Tuesday evenings at St Aidan’s High School in Harrogate.
We’ve also provided equipment to Leeds Powerchair FC before who also have multiple teams for different ability levels. They play regularly all throughout the country as part of the Wheelchair Football Association.
For further information on other ways you can get involved in sports around Yorkshire, take a look at the Disability Sports Yorkshire website and all the work they do.
Graeme has worked alongside the public sector for much of his working life, helping departments improve efficiencies and deliver on projects. In his role at Vivid.Care, Graeme used his experience to tackle some of the most challenging issues in the healthcare sector, from falls through to winter pressures. He was also a guest speaker and a number of different conferences, including at the Falls Prevention Summit in London.
