Week 2: Leisure centres (re)visited

I’ve finished week 2 of my placement with Sport for Confidence. Gab and I split our time between visiting leisure centres and working at home for our group projects. We’ve been working online with Alana to find information for our projects on inclusive climbing and snooker. Alana has been able to visit and contact local places in Bristol, which adds some extra strings to our bow (not that we’ve practiced archery yet!)

Colchester:

On Monday and Wednesday, Gab and I visited Colchester Leisure World, where we met Sam and Sophie, two of the OT's who work for SfC. We helped out with the sports and activities, which included boccia, dance, football and multi-sports. When it comes to boccia, some of the participants are incredibly accurate with their throws! Don't underestimate anyone.

Sam recommended that we read the ‘activity analysis’ page of the SfC boccia booklet and make a note of the different aspects and processes that are involved in playing boccia.

A performance analysis involves determining the demands of an activity, the range of skills involved and the meanings associated with the activity. I paid attention to the activity analysis for boccia while we were playing the game, and I thought about the ways in which the game can be modified. People with limited use of their upper limbs can, with the help of their carer, use a ‘slide’ to move the ball. Alternatively, people can kick the ball. Some participants need prompting to remind them to take their turn. The space between the participants and the hoops / jacks can be decreased if needed.

We will use the boccia performance analysis as a guide for our climbing and snooker projects. Also, a possible role for physiotherapists is to suggest modifications or even certain exercises for individuals who are finding it difficult to throw the ball due to a neurological or musculoskeletal condition. We can also suggest balance exercises as a warm-up as suggested by Sophie, because boccia does require sitting balance.

While we were in Colchester, Gab and I worked with a participant in an individual gym session. He already has a set gym programme which he manages himself. We watched him carry out his exercises, paying attention to his form and technique, and we thought about how to progress his exercises. We suggested a couple of small modifications to his technique, to protect his spine, and we progressed some of his exercises. I think this is an area which physiotherapists can help with SfC. Movement analysis and exercise progression is a key component of physio, and I felt that Gab and I were able to contribute in a meaningful way.

Return to Chelmsford:

On Friday, we returned to Chelmsford. The first session was an introduction to group exercise class, which is a seated class that is geared towards people with physical disabilities or limited mobility. Last week, we practiced boxing which the participants liked – although my boxing partner said she felt sore the next day! This week, we practiced ball skills and boccia. I think this class works well because it’s a small group, and the fact that the exercises are different each week adds variety to the class.

We also did basketball, which involved a series of drills in small teams followed by two matches. I have been really pleased to see that the team sports are very inclusive. The staff at SfC are excellent at making sure that everyone is included in a match, and the participants enjoy the challenge of playing a match. It is true that there will always be a wide range of abilities in each game, and some players will naturally tend to dominate. However, we made sure that the other players had a chance to dribble and shoot so that they weren’t left behind.