Boccia

Boccia Provincial High Performance Head Coach Application

SportAbility / CP Sports of BC is seeking applicants for the position of Provincial High Performance Head Boccia Coach until April 1, 2011.

Boccia is Italian in origin and shares many similarities with Lawn Bowling. Boccia can be played individually or on teams, and can be adapted for those with mobility impairments through the use of assistive ramps. It was developed in the early 1980′s when European countries found that there were a large number of athletes with disabilities who were unable to take advantage of sports like track and field, swimming, weight-lifting, and/or cycling because they had poor balance, poor muscle tone, and/or spastic movements which limited their success. Fortunately, Boccia was found to eliminate many of these setbacks.

Boccia is suitable for everyone, but has found great popularity among people with even the most severe physical disabilities. It challenges both body and mind and provides athletic therapy by demanding coordination of movement, practicing of grasp and release techniques, movement of limbs, and strategic planning. Like many of the sports we offer, it is an effective way to integrate physically disabled individuals with able-bodied individuals in schools, rehabilitation centre’s, or the home.

Boccia is a Paralympics sport offered at regional, national and international levels. The rules are fairly simple and scoring is similar to that of lawn bowling or curling. Each side is given 6 balls (red or blue). After one side has thrown the white “jack” (target ball), the sides proceed to throw their balls as close as they can to this target ball. The side not closest continues to throw until they are closer than their opponent or they are out of balls, at which point the leading side throws their remaining balls. Sides are awarded points based on how many of their balls are closer to the “jack” than their opponents’ closest ball.

We currently have a large number of athletes competing at various recreational, regional, national, and international competitions. SportAbility is always looking for new athletes, officials, classifiers, volunteers, and sponsors to get involved with our Boccia programs. There are a number of clubs in B.C. so if you are interested, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

SportAbility is continually holding Boccia events, so please visit our Calendar of Events page to view these upcoming events.