A school’s efforts have seen them succeed in table cricket and boccia.
For the uninitiated, table cricket is an inclusive sport designed for students with special educational needs.
It is similar to cricket with students batting to achieve runs while the fielding team tries to stop them but played around a table tennis table with sides, sliding fielders and a miniature bat and ball.
Tracey Croucher, learning support and teaching assistant at William Howard School, whose students have been performing highly in the sport, said: “Playing table cricket has enabled our students to gain independence, confidence, and self-esteem.
“It has allowed them to make new friends, have fun and experience success.
“Our students attend a club every Tuesday night where they practise and they have taken part in three competitions this year: the North Cumbria Schools Competition; the Cumbria County Competition and the North-East Regional Finals in Durham.
“They won the ‘North Carlisle Schools Competition’, came second at the county competition and won the ‘Northeast Competition’.
“This has earned them a place in the Lord’s Taverners National Final which will take place at Lord’s Cricket ground in London on Friday, June 17.”
The table cricket team consists of Andrew Kyle (captain), Jake Thorburn, Sarah Wallace, Archie Wood, Samuel Kileen-McGuirk, Eve Palmer, and Liam Collins.
Sarah said of the competition in Durham: “I just wanted to get into it and meet a lot of new people.
“It was really tough, but we won five games, which is every game.”
Tracey continued: “We also play Boccia at school.
“Boccia is another inclusive sport but one that is played to Paralympic level.
“It is very similar to French boules.
“Teams or pairs compete to see who can get their ball closest to a jack ball.
“Usually we attend competitions organised by Boccia England but they had no funding this year for these.
“Instead the children’s charity, Panathlon, has organised events.
“Three of our students were invited to attend the northwest boccia competition in Liverpool.
“They put in a lot of extra practice running up to the event and won the PAN disability section of the competition.
“Unfortunately, there is no National Final to attend this year.”
The boccia team consists of Connor Dixon (captain), Andrew Kyle and Jake Thorburn.
Connor said of the competition: “We were just going in there to play and see how well we could do.”
Connor has a track record of boccia success, having won the under-18s Scottish Open and the North Regional Competition for Boccia England playing singles.
He added of being captain for the first time: “It was a new experience, but a very positive experience.”
READ MORE: Paralympian to visit school
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