Sport Match

The Tasmanian Sport & Recreation Association for People with a Disability

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"Everyone Can Play"

Getting Active

So, you want to get involved in a sport or recreation activity? The following information may assist you in deciding what activity to participate in, who to contact and what to ask.

Why participate in Sport and Recreation?

Sport and recreation is a great way to get fit, stay healthy, have fun, meet people, develop skills, achieve goals, gain recognition and much much more. Sport and recreation opportunities are for everyone, our motto is 'Everyone can play' and this is certainly true. Regardless of a person's ability, there are opportunities and pathways in many sports. Much of the time little needs to be done to accommodate the needs of individuals and you and the providers are the best people to work out what, if anything needs to adapted.

How to decide?

What do you want to get out of participating? We all have reasons why we want to participate in sport or recreation activities, what's yours? By knowing why you want to get involved, will help you to determine what to get involved in.

Example:

If you would like to play sport to meet people, a club and team environment would be better than choosing an individual sport. Or, if you are keen to compete at an international level, you are best to choose a sport that has a pathway to the Paralympic Games or other International competitions.

Opportunities and pathways

There are some sports that have disability specific opportunities as well as inclusive / integrated opportunities. Example tennis players in Tassie have regular city /suburban competitions as well as wheelchair specific tournaments or competitions specifically for people with an intellectual disability. You can choose which environment would suit you best, or play in both!

Things to think about include:

	What are your goals for playing?
	What setting do you want to play in? Both is an option!
	Paralympic sport v's generic opportunities
	Who do you want to play/compete against?

Some sport and recreation opportunities in Tasmania do not cater specifically for people with a disability. Example there is no disability specific option for mountain bike riding, this does not mean that you cannot participate! It just means that if a sport or recreation activity has not provided for people with a disability before, they may need a bit of support and encouragement to help them realise it's not difficult.

There are also a number of disability specific clubs / opportunities that provide for specific disability groups. Example Special Olympics, Wheelchair Sports etc. These groups can provide you with an opportunity to participate in disability specific activities. Many sports also provide an opportunity to participate in either inclusive or disability specific options example, Tennis Tasmania offer wheelchair tennis tournaments as well as the opportunity to play in regular city suburban competitions.

Who to contact and how?

Each sport and recreation activity has a 'peak body' or a state sporting association. Eg, basketball has a peak body called Basketball Tasmania who is responsible for the development of basketball across the state. The state sport or recreation associations will be able to assist you to get in contact with your local club.

Alternatively, you may already know which club you would like to play with and so you can approach them individually. You can get the contact details via the internet (use a search engine), telephone book or you could contact your regional Sport and Recreation Tasmania Office. Your local Council may also be able to assist you. If all else fails, you can always contact TASRAD.

For further information about some sports that are available go to the Sports CONNECT sports in Tasmania page.

What to ask?

When approaching a sport and recreation provider there are certain things that you might like to ask:

	Is there an opportunity to try the sport? - Try before you buy option!
	Are there clubs/activities for specific groups?- men, women, age groups, people with disabilities etc
	What times do the activities happen? - mid week, evening, afternoons etc
	What coaching opportunities are available?
	Are there accessible facilities (making sure you specify your needs as some people do not know what an 'accessible' facility is). Eg, Toilets, steps, door widths, tactile markings, friendly people willing to help etc
	How much does it cost to play? - membership, registration fees, court fees etc. Are there student/pension/ family discounts?
	What opportunities exist? Social games, competition, pathways to state, national competition
	What equipment / clothing is required? Flat soled shoes, a uniform, collared shirt etc
	Is there a special etiquette that needs to be adhered to? No talking when shot on play etc
	Is there childcare available at the facility?
	Are there opportunities to get involved in the club at a committee level

You may come up with your own list of questions to help you to determine if the activity / club will suit your needs.

Need support to participate?

There are many disability support services available. A good start is to check with the peak disability body eg. Paraquad, TABIS, Down Syndrome Association etc. They may be able to help you to obtain support to participate in your chosen activity.

NB. Some of this information has been adapted from the Sport and Recreation Tasmania "Sport and Recreation Activities for everybody" booklet (2000)

Last modified: 03/06/08