Wheely Great

ARGYLE’S community coaches have teamed up with budding playing from across Devon to establish the Pilgrims’ first ever wheelchair football team.

The club’s Football in the Community Trust staged an eight-week introduction course to wheelchair sport before securing funding to establish the foundations for Argyle’s inaugural chair team.
Professional training sessions are held on Saturday mornings, when players take part in skill-development, fun competitions and small-sided games.
The sessions are for players of all abilities to encourage sport-specific and transferable life-skills, not necessarily to find the best chair footballers. They aims to increase the confidence of chair movements, as well as promoting the benefits of engaging in a stimulating activity programme.
Social Inclusion Officer Dwain Morgan said: “The sessions are amazing to watch.
“Each week, we have a real range of abilities. The great thing about the sessions is the social mix. Players interact and have fun across all generations.
“The skills and fitness on show are a real credit to the players; their hard work and effort is incredible.
“Technically, they have improved significantly but, most rewardingly, so has their sense of team-work. The sessions have improved everyone’s self- confidence - it’s been a fantastic effort by all involved.”
The sessions take place in a safe and consistent environment in which people can make new friends, as well as learning new skills and raising aspirations.
The Trust has a number of fundraising events planned to help the programme’s continuing development - players who currently represent the Argyle wheelchair team travel from across Devon to be part of it..
For further information or to book a place in the sessions, please contact Social Inclusion Officer Dwain Morgan on 01752 562561, extension 162, or at dwain.morgan@pafc.co.uk.