TSSSA delivers 10 all ability events for our disabled athletes on the calendar with great success and positive numbers. We have had wonderful collaboration with each of our Schools and our RSO development officers.
Our Schools Involved
Coastal Taranaki School
Francis Douglas Memorial College
Inglewood High School
New Plymouth Boys' High School
New Plymouth Girls' High School
Spotswood College
Stratford High School
Taranaki Diocesan School
Te Paepae o Aotea
Waitara High School
RSO support
Outdoor Bowls Ian Lewis Taranaki Bowls
Hockey Taranaki Hockey Jack Gray development officer and Denise Hill Chief Executive officer
Golf Croquet Ricardo Pinto Community Liaison Park Croquet Club Hawera
Snag golf Taranaki Golf Lucinda Searle and Chris Hill
Boccia Parafed Taranaki Tracy Cocker and Molly Howatson
Athletics Taranaki Athletics Melissa Maw Chief Executive and TET Athletics staff
Indoor Bowls Ian Lewis Taranaki Bowls
Cricket Taranaki Cricket Liam Muggeridge and Jordan Gard
Gymnastics Waitara Gymnastics Club Hayley Jury and Shirley Baker
Swimming Wai o Rua Stratford Pools Manager Taneal Goddard
Outside agency disability support
Tracy Cocker and Molly Howatson Parafed Taranaki
Max Pringle Halberg Foundation
Steve Lyster Special Olympics
Allowing all students to be involved in our events has been exciting.. Some students want to participate but preferred to watch before joining in. We take time to build relationships and help all students to feel comfortable in a new environmnent. We encompassed warm up time so students could feel more relaxed, less anxious and know what they were doing before starting. We Include 2-3 different variations of activities at some events e.g. during our athletics shot put event we had 3 throwing stations set up. A bean bag throw into a hoop, a soft foam shotput and a heavy hard plastic shot put and marking pegs. This means that each student can work at their own pace and be included immediately in the activities and have some success.
Our philosophy was to ensure all students have many attempts at learning a skill or completing a task, the more they touch the equipment, we hope the more involved and fun they will have. We also understand that some students will not join in physically, so we are able to give them some different roles on the day, such as helping collect in balls at boccia, being a helper with a group, sorting out the squeaky chickens ready for the relay races at athletics. Putting out cones, collecting in equipment at the end. Every student is included and feels part of the event in their own way.
Josh (FDMC) and Portia and Eden (NPGHS) have been our leaders at events in 2023 and 2024. They have welcomed schools arriving at the venue, been a group leader for boccia, athletics and gymnastics. Handed out certificates, helped with the BBQ, thanked all schools at the end of an event and led the karakia. Giving our students some leadership and responsibility has improved their confidence and communication skills
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