Youth Sport Trust promotional image for National School Sport Week 2020

As another fantastic National School Sports Week is coming to a close, we caught up with Michelle Reeves, the sports inclusive officer at Northamptonshire Sport.

She has given us an insight into why goalball is important to the work that she does in schools, why the sport is essential for many blind and partially sighted young people, as well as how Northamptonshire Sport have been keeping young people active in lockdown.

From everyone at Goalball UK, we want to say a massive thank you to Michelle for taking the time to speak with us to celebrate National School Sports Week and for the amazing work that her and the team do in Northamptonshire. We can’t wait to get back on the court with you and to introduce even more young people to our sport!

Goalball has been a part of our Inclusive Programme for a number of years – we have worked with the Goalball UK and Faye Dale has always been extremely generous with her time and travel to our county to help provide opportunities, training, CPD and leadership opportunities to schools and children across the county.

Goalball is a great game for all children – and a great game for VI children to excel and proceed in. We love it, and have continued to support, push and promote it throughout the county with the help and support of Goalball UK – their help and support is fundamental to the success of getting more children and more VI children to play and enjoy the game.

Goalball is also delivered as part of our inclusive school games across the county by the School Sports Managers and has proved more and more popular with children, schools and teachers year on year.

Faye and Stephen have been coming to help run, support and referee the Goalball School Games finals each year, which is great fun a fantastic day for the finalists and always produces a great positive response from those playing and those coming to watch the game for the first time.

We also are aware of some children with VI and have specifically been able to work with schools to introduce goalball for these children – providing balls and blindfolds, game rules, information and training. In some cases, schools have approached us to help them with their sports programme to make it more appropriate for their VI students.

Goalball has been fantastic and well received in all schools that have tried it and introduced the game to their students. It is a great team sport that all children can play and feel part of a team, and for VI children, an excellent way to play alongside their peers with all student gaining a better understanding and awareness of what it means to have a VI.

It is important to keep all children active through lockdown – Northamptonshire Sport have been posting and promoting inclusive sports/ activities each week and encouraging all children to participate.

Please see the goalball challenge we set all school children on Week 4 of our Virtual School Games Challenges. It has to be fun – we had some great videos sent in of lots of children having a go!

As a sports inclusive officer working for Northamptonshire Sport through YST Project Ability inclusion funding, we also have an additional Inclusion Programme, and work closely with all special schools across the county to encourage feedback and communication to find out what sports, training, leadership, festival, competition information they would like/would meet the needs of their children.

We meet regularly, provide a termly newsletter to share information and keep in touch to enable us to provide specific support and information. This link and communication are vital for us to adapt and change the programme each year to complement and help schools and teacher deliver sport for all.

From everyone at Goalball UK, we want to say a massive thank you to Michelle for taking the time to speak with us to celebrate National School Sports Week and for the amazing work that her and the team do in Northamptonshire. We can’t wait to get back on the court with you and to introduce even more young people to our sport!