BLIND SPORTS AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER | December 2015 Blind Sports Australia December 2015 Promotion, Participation & Advocacy of Sports for the Australian Blind Community IN THIS ISSUE A Message from the CEO A Message from the CEO As we lead into the The Board and I were pleased that so Page 1 festive season it is a many people could attend a BSA Member Updates: Blind Sports & good to take a little Sports Forum held over a weekend in Recreation Vic time to reflect on the October. Again there was a lot of Page 2 year that’s passed and information sharing and idea what has been generation. Also thank you to Tim Blind Sporting Association of NSW achieved and what should be Haggis (Australian Disability Sports), Sporting Wheelies & Disabled celebrated. Simon Rodder (Australian Sports Association Commission) and Tim Matthews Page 3 The big event and highlight this year (Australian Paralympic Committee) Association of SA Blind Sporting Clubs was the Blind Sports World Games in who attended and presented. Thank WA Blind Sports Federation Seoul, South Korea in May. A team of you also to the APC and Essendon Page 5 26 athletes, coaches and support Football Club for the use of their persons attended representing Blind facilities once again. Blind Cricket Australia Sports Australia in Goalball and Tenpin Blind Golf Australia Page 8 After the BSA Annual General Bowling. These games are a large event (bigger than the Paralympic Meeting, Mr Sam Theodore was Goalball Australia Games in numbers attending) with the elected by the Board as the Chair and Page 9 best blind and vision impaired athletes Ms Voula Karantzas as Deputy Chair. attending the Games. All the athletes Congratulations to both Sam and Blind & Vision Impaired Tenpin Bowling Other News performed well with Marilyn Luck Voula, and thank you to David Blyth Page 10 winning a gold medal in the Tenpin for his support and leadership of both Bowling and the Goalball Women’s BSA and to me personally over the Upcoming Events team placing fourth. last few years. Page 11 BSA Board Members & Member In August Blind Sports Australia hosted Thank you to Melissa Martin for Organisations an inaugural Blind Football forum in putting together this newsletter, to Page 12 Melbourne with representatives from all the Board and volunteers that each State attending. This was a very have worked with BSA this year for collegiate and sharing meeting and as your help and support – invaluable an outcome a draft strategic plan has and I do appreciate it. Lastly I wish been put together to develop the sport everyone a wonderful festive season in Australia. Blind Sports Australia and a safe and happy new year. Blind Sports Australia with the support of Blind Sport and A Foundation Member of the Recreation Victoria has also submitted Stephen Barnes, CEO Australian Paralympic Committee an Expression of Interest to IBSA ceo @ blindsportsasustralia.com.au (International Blind Sports Federation) ABN 68 008 621 252 to host an Oceania tournament in 2017. PO Box 2114, Oak Park Vic 3046 PAGE 1 BLIND SPORTS AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER | December 2015 was recently successful in receiving a BSV has developed an innovative What have our grant from the City of Yarra to hold a Australia-first vision-impaired tennis series of walking tours and morning program. With many blind and vision Members been teas in the City of Yarra. impaired people never having held a tennis racquet or been on a tennis up to? These events will be held bi-monthly, court, this program enables you to starting in March 2016, with develop skills associated with tennis Blind Sports & more detailed information provided movements such as serving, forehand in February 2016. and backhand with the assistance of Recreation Victoria trained volunteers. Numerous types Miriam Bilander, who has of balls are used including audible, coordinated the Morning Tea in 2015 National Disability Awards coloured and various sizes tennis Moreland program, will continue as Minister for Social Services, the Hon balls. coordinator of this program in the Christian Porter MP announced the City of Yarra. If you are interested in selection of 27 finalists for the 2015 The program is held at the National attending these morning teas, please National Disability Awards. Tennis Centre (Indoor Courts). The contact Miriam on 98228876 or email National Tennis Centre is located Maurice Gleeson OAM, President of [email protected] within the Melbourne Park precinct, Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria opposite AAMI Park Stadium, next to was one of the finalists in these Look Both Ways – Sharing Your Time Hisense Arena. The program is held awards. The National Disability project in Boroondara four times per year in six week blocks Awards have been set up to recognise Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria is on a Friday evening commencing at the valuable contribution continuing to create comfortable and 6.30pm. organisations and people make to accessible environments to enable improving the lives of people with people who have vision loss in Dates for 2016 are: disability in Australia,” Mr Porter said. Boroondara to get out and about with Term 1: 19 February, 26 February, 4 assistance from our great volunteers. March, 18 March, 1 April, 8 April Now in their ninth year, the National Term 2: 6 May, 13 May, 20 May, 27 Disability Awards are part of the Whether it’s sharing a walk in the May, 3 June Commonwealth Government’s park, attending a concert, creating Term 3: 5 August, 12 August, 19 celebration of International Day of music, exploring an exhibition hands- August, 26 August, 2 September People with Disability. on, learning about mindfulness and Term 4: 14 October, 21 October, 28 The 2015 National Disability Award meditation, going out for coffee with October, 4 November, 11 November, winners were announced at a ‘coffee mates’ or listening to the birds 18 November. ceremony on Wednesday, 25 which inhabit Boroondara, this November at Parliament House in project connects people together to If travelling by train, a meeting point Canberra. walk, talk, laugh and have fun. has been organised at the barrier at Richmond Railway Station (Swan Congratulations Maurice on a well- If you live, work or don’t mind Street end near the kiosk) at 6pm. deserved nomination. travelling to Boroondara and would like to participate in this project as a person who has vision loss or a volunteer, Janene would love to hear from you by phone on (03) 9822 8876 on Thursdays or email [email protected] For further information on the tennis program, please have a look at the Blind & Vision Impaired Tennis link Walking Tours in City of Yarra Program http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Pub Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria PAGE 2 BLIND SPORTS AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER | December 2015 lications/Video-Gallery/PICSAR- more about available social achievements as the volunteer Friends-for-Fitness.aspx recreation grass roots sporting historian for Goalball Queensland Maurice Gleeson/Susan opportunities within their and Goalball Australia. Blind Sports Victoria community. This event is being held on December 10 & 11 and Blind Sporting participants will have the opportunity to experience Cricket, Goalball, Association of NSW Tennis, Futsal, Ten Pin Bowling, and Judo! 2015 Vision Camp The 2015 Vision Camp was held at Big thanks to Sally from Department States share honours at Australian Sydney Academy of Sport in of Education and Kelly from Vision Goalball Championships, 5/10/15 Narrabeen from Friday Dec 4th to Australia Orange for their support The 2015 Australian Goalball Sunday Dec 6th. Attendees were able leading up to this event. Also a big Championships have drawn to a close to participate in a range of activities thanks to our major partner PCYC in the historic Queensland city of including Ten Pin Bowling, Indoor Orange for allowing us to utilize their Ipswich after four days of Soccer/Futsal, Goalball, Cricket, wonderful venue for the sports over competition featuring Australia’s top Tandem Cycling, Judo, Archery & the weekend. players from Queensland, New South Vision Impaired Tennis. The Vision Murray Elbourn, President Wales, Victoria, Western Australia Camp offered attendees the Blind Sports NSW and South Australia (1-4 October). opportunity to meet new friends and enjoy new experiences in a Sporting Wheelies & The host state won gold in the supportive environment. Big thanks Women’s division, with the to Variety Club NSW and Vision Disabled Association combination of Paralympians Meica Australia for supporting this program. of QLD Christensen and Nicole Esdaile with fellow national representative Raissa 2015 Sporting Wheelies and Martin proving too strong for New Surf Life Saving NSW Disabled Association Annual Awards South Wales 10-4. The sand in your eye Bondi Beach Barry Harpur was named “Col and event has been moved back to Peter Marsh Volunteer of the Year” at It was the perfect preparation for provide more time to set up the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Meica and Raissa ahead of the 2015 infrastructure for this event in Association’s Annual Awards on 20 IBSA Asia/Pacific Goalball relation to the buddy swimming November. Championships in China in program and surfing lessons that will November, where they will attempt go hand in hand with break out Barry made a significant contribution to qualify the Australian women’s education sessions and the launch of to goalball in Queensland in 2015 as a goalball team for the Rio 2016 our online matrix website. Sign up Paralympics. volunteer referee and committee registration packets will be available member. He was a member of the in early January for this event which organising committee for the 2015 will support a more inclusion beach Australian Goalball Championships in community and partnership between Ipswich in October, where he also Surf Life Saving NSW and Blind Sports acted as Senior Referee over the four- NSW.