A new scheme for blind footballers of all abilities is hoping to produce future England players after it kicks off this Saturday.
The Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme will help deliver the B1 programme which will include high quality training sessions from Sheffield Wednesday staff and aims to give new opportunities for blind and visually impaired people to try football.
The scheme is hoped to produce future England disability players and one volunteer has already been scouted by coaches in the lead up to the initiative.
Julie Callaghan, Disability and Inclusion Football Development Officer at Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA, said: “It’s about realisation of dreams, to be able to play at that level.”
“We had a volunteer turn up and one of the England Blind coaches identified them as a blind footballer that could play for England within the next 12-months, with work. He could be a role model in Sheffield for future young players in Sheffield.”
Ahead of the launch of our new #BlindFootball initiative, Project B1. This Saturday our coaches were down giving it a go themselves 🦉⚽
Read more here: 👇https://t.co/56meXoVx5n@SHCFA @SheffCouncil #sheffield #community #swfc #wawa pic.twitter.com/UdMbS2mOpN
— SWFC Community Programme (@SWFCCP) March 14, 2022
The initiative is in partnership with Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA, Sheffield Royal Society for The Blind, and Yorkshire Sport Foundation and will feature a non-contact version of blind football.
Ms Callaghan said: “There’s nothing in the South Yorkshire corridor for blind football so this is quite massive really, to fill a gap to give an opportunity for male and female players that want to play football.”
The sessions will take place outside at Tapton Community Sport Centre, and kicks off this Saturday with a free turn up and play session from 12:30pm to 1:30pm.
Sessions will continue to run on a Saturday at the same time on the dates shown below costing £3 per session and £24 for all ten.
Session Dates:
March 19th – free turn up and play session.
April 23rd
May 7th, 14th and 21st
June 11th, 18th and 25th
July 2nd, 9th and 16th
