Sports
Athletics
The club has a number of athletic coaches including one level 3 coach who is also on the board of the Association for People with Learning Disabilities.
Where members are showing promising progression and they wish to continue at a higher level the club has links to Cwmbran Harriers where coaches are available for integrated sessions and also the possibility of progressing to the National Indoor Arena at Cardiff to train with Disability Sport Wales academy.
The club uses the Athletic track when the weather is favourable and at other time we use the sports hall. If the club numbers for athletics increase it is possible that we could meet at additional times if the coaches are available. The club has links to the local Dragon Sports club that meets on Tuesdays at Cwmbran stadium for 8 - 12 yr old children with an interest in athletics and some of the coaches in this club have experience of working with children with disabilities. This is a new venture which started September 2007 with the support of Disability Sport Wales.
The club has had a number of successes over the years with several junior champions and some national representatives at senior level. The club has taken part in games throughout the country during the summer months but this very much depends on the interests of the members.
Badminton
Badminton can be played by both ambulant and wheelchair users and is a sport that is being developed throughout Wales by Disability Sport Wales and the Welsh Badminton Union. The club has a court in use each week and more can be made available as required.
One of the members of the club, a young lady with learning difficulties, has represented Wales, through Special; Olympics, on many occasions both in the UK and abroad and has returned with many medals. where wheelchair users develop to competition level they are encouraged to to join specialised clubs in the South East Region where special wheelchairs are available.The club will assist these athletes in accessing funding for sports wheelchairs so that they can compete on level terms with other competitors. In the event that the numbers of wheelchair players increase to a suitable number the club will look to having additional facilities available so that these people can train locally.
Basketball
The club has recently had a volunteer start his basketball coaching course and he has successfully completed his level 1 and is now looking towards undertaking his level 2 He is currently coaching the ambulant members basic skills with the view of forming a team which will probably contain non disabled and disabled athletes giving the team a very integrated approach to basketball. For those wheelchair users who want to participate in basketball it is necessary at the moment for them to go to Cardiff as there are insufficient players in the valleys to justify trying to form a team, but this can change if the numbers increase.
Boccia
Boccia is a game similar to boules which can be played by anyone disabled or non-disabled but has been developed by C.P. Sport to Paralympic level for people with Cerebral Palsy, muscular dystrophy and similar disabilities. The club has a number of competitors who are Regional Champion in this sport and they have formed an extension to the club and meet on Saturdays where they are coached for a couple of hours on advanced skills and tactics to use in the game.
Wales has recently formed its own Boccia Association with the support of Disability Sport Wales and it is expected that the sport will become more competitive within Wales with the standard of players increasing.
Bowls
The club has short mat bowls equipment that is used in the sports hall on a weekly basis and where members want to play on the indoor bowls rink arrangements can be made to use one or tho rinks with Torfaen Indoor Bowls and coaching can be arranged if required. There is available at the stadium special bowls buggies for people who are wheelchair users so that they can travel up and down the rink without damaging the surface.
The club has had some very good bowlers as members in the past but it is a sport that is not played much by the existing membership but one that the the officers of the club would like to see developed.
Cricket
Cricket is coached in the club as the demand arises and the local Disability Sport Wales Development Officer is trying to recruit people to participate in this sport and to represent Wales in a national league. This is a sport that is very active in North Wales but has not really taken off in the South East but if players can be found the opportunities are available for progression by those competing.
General Fitness
The club has a general fitness workout each week led by a wheelchair dependant member and for those who wish for something a little more strenuous there is a qualified Gym Instructor who is allowed to take up to five members into the fitness suite and instruct/supervise then in the use of the equipment and will develop individual fitness programmes for the members. There are a few pieces of equipment in the fitness suite that are suitable for wheelchair users.
New Age Kurling
This is a relatively new but rapidly growing sport with similar aims as ice kurling. New Age Kurling can be played on any hard flat surface and is particularly suited to sports halls. The national organisation behind this sport are continually introducing new competitions and events, for further information visit www.kurling.co .uk
The game is played using special 'stones' with multi directional castors. for those people who have difficulty pushing the stones by hand there are special pushers on long sticks or launching ramps so that they can be released from a sitting position.
Member playing table tennis