Birmingham Special Needs Sport Association Rowing Championships

On the 24th April 2009 Calthorpe Specialist Sports College, Birmingham was host to the Birmingham Special Needs Sports Association Indoor Rowing Championships.

The event saw over 70 children taking part, from six Special Educational Needs Schools in the Birmingham area, –  Selly Oak, Victoria, Calthorpe, Baskerville, Hallmoor, Queensbury and Welcome Hills School from Stratford-upon-Avon.

The races had been divided up into:
Key stage 3  – SLD (severe learning disabilities) and MLD (moderate learning disabilities) male/female
Key stage 4  – SLD and MLD male/female 
Key stage 4  – physically disabled male/female.

Each participant took part in an individual race and a fun paired event at the end of the competition, The individual races lasted either one and a half mins for Key Stage 3 or two mins for Key Stage 4  – these racing distances were chosen as the most appropriate for the range of disabilities of those taking part by the organisers, Maddy Millichap (ARA C&C Adaptive Coach) and Sam Fletcher (Competition Manager, Birmingham). Assistance, help and encouragement was provided by pupils from Selly Oak College Sixth Form, who were there as the final part of their ARA Junior Rowing Leaders Award in Indoor Rowing.

The morning was a huge success and very popular with the schools taking part in the disability rowing initiative organised and set up with the help of ARA development officer Jo Atkinson.

The results of the morning’s activities and competitions were:

Key stage 3 SLD male/female, Calthorpe swept the board with 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Key stage 3 MLD male, Selly oak did the same with 1st ,2nd and 3rd

Key stage 4 SLD male/female, Welcome Hills also completed a hat trick! 1st, 2nd and 3rd
Key stage 4 MLD male, Selly Oak came 1st,  
Key stage 4 physically disabled male/female – Victoria School won this event 

Thanks must go to Sam Fletcher and his colleagues for organising a wonderful event, Calthorpe for hosting the competition and the BSNSA for providing medals for all participants.

Madeleine Millichap,
ARA C&C Adaptive Coach, West Midlands.