A GROUP of young men from the Moyross Youth Intervention Project (MYIP) sampled a modern take on a traditional game when they took part in a six-week wheelchair hurling programme.
The eight participants learned the intricacies of the sport at the Delta Sports Dome, with assistance from Midwest Spina Bifida and the Treaty Warriors wheelchair hurling/camogie team.
Samantha Crowper, who works with MYIP, said that the group had researched information about physical disability before starting the programme, which helped to bring perspective to the young men who took part.
She said: “The lads learned a lot. They made friends and they learned to see the person and not the chair. They learned to respect each other. They really enjoyed it. They learned new skills and learned a new way to play sport. It shows that you can do anything if you put your mind to it and work as a team.”
According to Samantha, the learning process for the MYIP members was not without its challenges. However they quickly adjusted to it and responded positively to the training from volunters with Wheels In Motion, a sports and social programme from Mid West Spina Bifida.
“They found it challenging. One of the lads wouldn’t play at first because he was a bit scared of getting hurt. The rest of them were keen and the guy put together a game for them before they started into the hurling.
“They had to master holding the hurley in one hand and rolling the chair with the other at the same time. It was a bit hard for them and they still find it a bit hard now but they’ve gotten used to it.”
So much so that they’ve been invited to the interprovincial wheelchair hurling championships at UL on Saturday June 28 to watch the Treaty Warriors in action.
