We've caught Olympic fever! Summer is right around the corner and with it, the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Students in Year 10 recently tried out two events that will be taking place in the Paralympic Games, goalball and sitting volleyball. Check out the photos above.
Goalball is a team sport for blind athletes. It was designed in 1946 to help rehabilitate visually impaired veterans of World War II. Players compete in teams of three and try to throw a ball embedded with bells into the opponent's goal. Using the sound of the bell, players judge the ball's position and movement.
Sitting volleyball was introduced at the Paralympic Games in 1976 as a sport for people with amputations. Today, it's open to athletes with a physical disability that limits their ability to play volleyball standing up. Sitting volleyball has identical rules and points system as its counterpart, but players' back or buttock must be touching the floor whenever they make contact with the ball.
Both sports require exceptional skill, and the athletes who take part in these events at the Paralympic Games are truly remarkable. We're pleased to introduce students to a wide range of sports in our Athletics Program. They really enjoyed branching out to try something new, and left the lesson with a greater appreciation of the breadth of sport.
Follow the Athletics Department on Twitter at @AthleticsatBISC.