"As a disabled child, I never knew what was out there and available to me, that was, until I joined Shock. Finding the club opened my eyes to what I could achieve"

In May 2025, Ignite Bristol, a network of Bristol-based inclusive sport organisations spearheaded by Access Sport, hosted their biggest multi-sport festival to date.

In the article below, Wes, a member of our National Youth Board, shares his experience of the day and the long-term impact that a single inclusive sports experience can have on a young person.

Article by Wesley Newman.
 
I've been coaching wheelchair basketball since 2018, supporting at schools, corporate events and, since 2022, the main Swindon Shock Club. 
 
Coaching has its challenges, but what keeps me loving it is the impact and opportunity that we, as coaches, give young people that they never believed was possible. This has never been more evident than at events such as Access Sports Ignite festivals. 
 
It was 2023 when I first brought Wheelchair Basketball to Bristol's Ignite Festival. From the moment I arrived, it was amazing to be around such a wide variety of people who are passionate about getting people included in sport, from fellow coaches, volunteers, to Access Sport staff. The building was filled with conversations about why people are involved in sport and the sharing of knowledge and experiences. 

Working within a small club, it's always been easy to get caught in the small picture I’m within. The difference a single coach can make is huge, but often feels limited and restrictive, and at times, like no progress is being made. Having the chance to meet and talk to so many other adaptive coaches helped to ease my mind about the work I was doing. We shared our successes, our challenges, our loves and frustrations within the sector, but we all shared a vision of helping others realise their potential in sport.

As a disabled child, I never knew what was out there and available to me, that was, until I joined Shock. Finding the club opened my eyes to what I could achieve, and I started joining all the clubs I could in my area. But that was so small compared to what the Multi-Sports Festivals offer. 

There was an immense variety of not only sport, but active opportunities for everyone, from my wheelchair basketball group to silent disco, football to gymnastics, all adapted to suit the needs of anyone who came to take part – there truly was something for anyone of any ability. 

Countless young people came along, jumped into a sports chair and joined in with basketball and were loving giving it a go. But there was one family I noticed throughout the day who kept coming back and watching. During a quick break, I spoke with the family, finding out that the child watching loves basketball, but believed they couldn’t play because they couldn’t use a sports wheelchair - that’s where, as adaptive coaches, we can subvert expectations. The amazing volunteers and I spent the next session with this young person, using adaptive balls and nets to do shooting challenges, getting them involved in passing games and playing with the others in the group, all in the wheelchair that supports their needs. It’s not a big change to anything we’re doing, just a small change to make the sport more accessible. 

I could see the purest of smiles from the child and their family – the realisation that what they saw as a barrier could be overcome was powerful. 

That’s the true power of the Ignite Festival. We may have got new members coming to Shock, we got to meet coaches and branch out as a club, but the difference one conversation, one interaction with a person can make is special, shaping their perspective of what is possible, and is why I keep coming back to events like this. 

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