Blog: "Give sitting volleyball a go - there’s a great social side"
The EFDS website features a blog post every Friday through the year. The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) website features a blog post every Friday through the year. In 2016 we’ll be taking a look at an A-Z of accessible sporting and fitness opportunities available to disabled people.
This week it’s V for volleyball, and Mike Stoneman discusses how the sport has improved his self-confidence.
Mike’s blog:
I am team captain for South Hampshire Sitting Volleyball Club, based in Portsmouth. We train once a week on a Monday evening and we compete in the annual Grand Prix series as well as a few mini-competitions throughout the course of the year.
I have been playing sitting volleyball since 2009 and took it up as a result of attending the Amputee Games, organised by LimbPower.
I tried various sports and volleyball really captured my imagination. I was with a friend and both of us had recently had leg amputations, and we thought it would be a good idea to set up a club near us. It’s been running ever since, and I’ve got a lot from playing sitting volleyball.
I really enjoy volleyball because it’s a team sport and it’s something which I had some natural ability for, as I have good ball-eye coordination. And I really enjoy competition, and volleyball really ticks that box.
The sport requires a lot of energy and I knew that as an activity it would be a really good one for me to do.
While I’m playing I feel completely engrossed by what I’m doing. I shut myself off to everything else. You’re simply focusing on the game and your role within it, your movement, and you’re watching the ball and supporting your teammates. It’s a great game that requires complete 100% attention and focus.
When I was 18 I was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. My leg was saved after the time with the aid of a metal prosthesis, but a few years later the tumour returned and the doctors had to amputate. I lost my leg above the knee at the age of 38.
Sitting volleyball has improved my self-confidence. I struggled at the sport early on but the fact that you play as part of a team and you meet other players on the Grand Prix circuit has greatly benefitted me. I’ve met a lot of extraordinary people.
Give sitting volleyball a go. There’s a great social side and you’ll meet a lot of people who are in a similar situation to you. In terms of fitness, which is really important for a disabled person, it’s a superb method of keeping fit. And, if you do like competition, then the sport is a fantastic outlet. You might get the chance to play across the country.
