Lord Mayor in support of York St John Goalball club

The Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Julie Gunnell, visited York St John Goalball club on Saturday 19 October to witness first-hand the opportunities provided for inclusive sport at the weekly club.

York St John Goalball Club was launched in 2011 and is now the biggest club in the UK. Goalball is a fast-paced sport played by visually impaired athletes who wear black-out masks. Two teams propel a ball across a marked rectangular court, each team attempting to roll it across the opponent's goal line while the other team attempts to prevent this from happening. The game is played with a bell ball made of hard rubber with holes in it, so players can hear the ball as it moves. The sport has significantly gained in popularity following the London 2012 Paralympic games.

Councillor Gunnell was keen to see the Club’s coaches and players in action, after meeting Jamie Hodgson, one the Club’s star players, at the city-wide disabled sports event ‘Celebrating Ability’ held in August. Jamie, who is partially sighted, was recently called up to the Great British squad following an impressive debut at several international tournaments held earlier this year. Having only discovered the sport in 2012, Jamie’s skill and dedication to Goalball have gone from strength to strength following training sessions with the Club.

Martin Bond, YSJ Active Instructor at York St John University said:
“We were excited to welcome Councillor Gunnell to a training session and to showcase the work the University does in promoting inclusive sports in our local community. The Club is run by volunteers, student placements and fully qualified coaches who are dedicated to providing a fun and relaxed environment for disabled people of all abilities to improve their skills in a range of sports.”

Lord Mayor, Councillor Gunnell added:
“I was delighted to accept the invitation to visit the York St John University Goalball Club to see first-hand how talent is being nurtured at the Club and also how the University is developing its inclusive sports agenda for the City.”

York St John Goalball club is part of York St John Inclusive Activity Club (YSJIAC) which holds sessions on a Saturday in the Foss Sports Hall on the University’s city-centre campus. Set up in 2009, YSJIAC provides an environment for students and members of the local community with various disabilities to engage in physical activity and sport as equals.

For more information on York St John Goalball Club and other inclusive sports on offer, T: 01904 876300.