Well done to the Midlothian pupils who competed at the SDS National Schools Boccia Championships.
Last week saw the SDS National Schools Boccia Championships take place in Stirling. Selected to represent the Lothian team were 2 Midlothian pupils, Jodie and Leo from Saltersgate School and Woodburn Primary School.
Their selection came after taking part in the inaugural Active Schools Midlothian Boccia Festival in November. This then led to them representing Midlothian at the Lothian Disability Sport Regional Schools Championships. Here, they gave outstanding performances which saw them win their respective categories!
The National event saw them compete against pupils from all over Scotland, some of whom have been playing Boccia for many years. It was tough competition and although neither Jodie nor Leo made it out of the group stages, they both had some excellent performances and very close matches. One of Jodie’s loses went down to a tie-breaker with Jodie losing by just 1 point!
Most importantly, both pupils enjoyed the day and had a great experience competing at this level.
Jodie’s PE teacher said “She was in good spirits the whole day and really enjoyed herself. Jodie was her usual laid back self… and enjoyed getting to play against other pupils from other schools.”
He also noted that Jodie “was all smiles and very respectful. She did herself and all of Saltersgate/ Lothian proud!”
Leo’s mum also let us know how he got on, saying “he played some amazing shots against some incredible competition. He says he had a great day”
Considering Leo is very new to the sport, we think he did a brilliant job earning his place at the National Championships!
Credit must also be given to Saltersgate School and the PE teachers there who include Boccia in the curriculum and have provided their pupils with a sound knowledge of the sport. Although Jodie was their only pupil selected for the National Championships, another was on the reserve list and a third represented Midlothian at the Regional event in January.
Don’t forget that Active Schools will be keeping the Midlothian Boccia Festival on the calendar of events next year! This is a great opportunity for pupils to give Boccia a try.
If you are interested in learning more about Boccia or including it in your school (PE or extra-curricular club), please have a look at the SDS website - About Boccia (scottishdisabilitysport.com) or email Active Schools – activeschools@midlothian.gov.uk
Well done again to Jodie and Leo! You did a brilliant job representing Midlothian!
