boccia


Boccia player Tracy Jones competing at a recent Cheshire Youth Games boccia competition

When were we founded?

The Cheshire Academy Boccia club was founded in 1994 and is one of the Academy's more socially orientated clubs. The club has grown steadily and now has both junior and senior sections. The club meets every Thursday evening from 6.30pm-9.00pm and the classes are specially designed to encourage children and young adults to socialise together and make new friends.

During the evening we have a break for tea and biscuits when everyone can come together and discuss what they have been doing during the week. The classes are coached by fully qualified boccia referees and coaches and players are given the opportunity to learn about refereeing and to attend boccia qualifying courses to become fully qualified.

Club Successes

Over the last decade the Academy has had very many successes and a steady stream of Boccia champions have come through our doors.

During 2003, at the Disability Sport England regional games held in Liverpool, Ben Welch successfully defeated the reining British Champion to win the North West Regional Junior Boccia Title at his first attempt, a fantastic and noteworthy success who had been attending the boccia club for about three years.

At the Cheshire Youth Games during June 2004 and 2005, members of the the Cheshire Academy Boccia Club wwere honoured to be representatives of Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council. In spite of having one of the youngest teams and we did well collecting a bronze medal for our efforts.


Ian Poole (aged 14) Disability Sport England National Junior Boccia Champion

The following year, during 2004, three members of the Cheshire Academy were invited to take part at the National DSE Championships held at the Greenbank Academy in Liverpool. Our three members, Michael Taylor, Giles Gaisford and Ian Poole did extremely well with Giles Gaisford just being beaten into 4th place in a very close play off and Ian Poole playing an astounding series of games winning the tournament with his very last shot picking up the trophy and the title of DSE National junior Boccia Champion.

However it is not our players who should be commended for their results. Boccia Coach Michael Horans efforts in the field of disability sport were recognised when he won the Crewe and Nantwich Malcolm Case memorial Trophy for "an outstanding contribution to disability sport within the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich"

Successes during 2005

One of the highlights of 2005 was the participation of three of the Academy boccia players and two coaches at the 7th National Special Olympic games held in Glasgow in 2005. The players, who are all members of South and East Cheshire Special Olympics, went as part of the North West regional team. They had to compete against some of the best learning disability players in the country. The team returned with silvers and bronze medals (in different categories)and Academy players returning with a number of individual silver and gold medals.


Disability Sport England North West Regional Champion 2003

The Academy team consisted of Samantha Barton (coach/ escort), Chris Hill (coach /escort) and athletes Julie Pointon, Michael Taylor and Matthew Roycroft.

To see see full report of how the boccia players did you can visit our web pages dedicated to the Academy's participation at the National Special Olympic games, or simply click here to access our National Special Olympic Games success pages. You can also view the players in our photo gallery.

How to contact the club

For more information about the boccia club you can contact the Cheshire Academy at boccia@disabilitysport.com.


Coach Chris Hill and Samantha Barton with the three strong Boccia team who competed at the National Special Olympic Games in Glasgow 2005