A Southwark-based goalball team are hoping the new season can provide another step forward for the club and a sport which is continuing to grow across the UK.
Goalball, a team sport for visually impaired athletes, uses a bell-filled ball as players defend their goal and score against the opposition.
The London Elephants’ elite squad returned from an international friendly competition in Portugal earlier this month, where they finished third.
Assistant coach Tracy Compton claimed experiencing their first international tournament left the team hungry for the upcoming season.
“Now they’ve had a bite at the cherry. I think they want more,” she said.
“We want to develop the squad, and we’ve got a few new members that are excited to join the team. The aim is to help them and to improve our league ranking from last year.
“We’re hoping to look for some more substantial finance sponsorship, so that we can send the elite team to more internationals.”
The club currently trains twice a month at The Castle Centre in Elephant & Castle, who have provided their facilities to the Elephants for some time.
But the cost of facilities in London makes things particularly difficult, while players also have to contribute towards the cost of competing away from home.
Compton believes additional funding could significantly increase their preparation.
She said: “It would definitely help us get more training sessions. Even if it was an extra session per month. But we would need the funding, we would need another sponsor.
“But the sport is growing all the time, new teams are popping up all the time which is brilliant.
“I would still like to see more teams in the South, not just London. They’re already playing it in schools, but I’d like to see it more in the curriculum for adaptive sports.
“Blind kids and visually impaired kids are in our mainstream school and need to be included. Sport is good for keeping fit but also for a healthy mind and socialising.”
For the Elephants, that sense of community is already central to the club.
“It’s a sense of being together, having fun, enjoying each other’s company and playing a great sport in goalball,” Compton said.
And for anyone considering trying the sport for the first time, her message is simple.
“Come along, watch and just have a go,” she said. “I can guarantee once you’ve dipped your toe in that pool, you’ll be plunged straight in. You don’t look back, it’s quite addictive.”
Feature Image: Tracy Compton
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