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News: Villa Rockets win top Sports Award
2008-04-21
The Villa Rockets Powerchair Football Club came away from the 2008 npower Disability Sports Awards, with the Team of the Year title.
The club was formed two years ago to allow young people, who use an electric powerchair, to play wheelchair football and The Aston Villa in the Community scheme helped identify potential players through school contacts.
In the autumn of 2006 the club became affiliated with The WFA (The Wheelchair Football Association), the sports governing body, and began to play in regional and national competitions.
Following success at the Nationals, three of the team were selected to attend England Team trials and the Villa Rockets has become a major force in powerchair football; it is one of the founder membesr of the Greater Midlands Regional League, along with Nottingham Powerchair Football Club, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The next season’s fixtures will be played between November 2007 and May 2008.
There were several sports personalities at the presentation evening supporting the English Federation of Disability Sports’ annual event, which aims to raise the profile of disability sports and the tremendous achievements made by competitors of all ages, their coaches and supporters.
Celebrity guests included the Football Association’s director of football development, Sir Trevor Brooking, paralympian and world Number One Boccia player, Nigel Murray, World Champion rower, Tom Kay, Paralympian swimmers Nyree Lewis and Sascha Kindred and wheelchair basketball ace, Sinclair Thomas along with Doug Ellis, OBE.
Eleven awards were presented on the night, recognizing competitors of all ages and standards, schools and teams and people who participate in a supporting role as volunteers.
Kevin Rodgers, community involvement executive for event sponsor, npower, says: “The Villa Rockets is a talented – not to mention vocal – team. When the award was announced, the roar of support in the room was incredible!”
Dennis Hodgkins, regional development manager at the EFDS, comments: “Getting young people involved in sport at grass roots level is incredibly important and these young athletes show just how much can be achieved in a relatively short time with the required amount of talent, commitment and enthusiasm.”
Setanta Sports presenter, Matt Teale, hosted the gala evening.
* PICTURE: Sir Trevor Brooking from the FA with Tom Robbins of the Villa Rockets
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