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Reported by:
Mr. Kjell Gunnå, DIBF Secretary General |
Organisations involved
In co-operation with the St Vincent´s Deaf Ladies Basketball
Club in Dublin, Ireland, and with official invitation from the
Irish Deaf Sports Federation, the Deaf International Basketball
Federation arranged a basketball training clinic and development
seminar in Dublin 28-30 March 2003. Conductors of the training
clinic/seminar were me, DIBF Secretary General Kjell Gunnå
and assistant Mr. Christian Boklund, we both from Sweden.
Ireland Deaf women at seminar |
Our contact people in this arrangement Ms Sarah Jane Moloney
and Ms Rachel Saunders, Chairperson respectively Vice Chairperson
in St. Vincent Deaf Ladies Basketball Club helped us to plan the
training clinic and book gym and hotel and make other necessary
preparations for the clinic. Ms Moloney and Ms. Saunders were
of invaluable help to us in carrying through this arrangement.
They were very positive and enthusiastic about this event and
of Irish Deaf Basketball over all. Both Christian and I could
recognise ourselves in them in younger years. Many deeply felt
thanks to them.
Location and participants
The practice training clinics took place at Trinity College, Luce
Sports Hall in Dublin. The Hall was fairly good, not top-class
basketball court but enough for our needs. There were 17 women
players and one male coach, Mr Paul O´Callaghan, participating
and they all showed great interest and good attitude to our training
methods. They were all working really hard at the basketball court.
The theory session on Saturday evening took place at the Deaf
Club and lasted well over three hours with lot of questions and
discussions. Many good ideas were discussed at this time.
Accommodation
The accommodation in hotel was very good and fully met with our
requirements. The participants lived with their families or good
friends through out the week-end, which with internal familiar
language was called the "Kjell week-end"
Economy
The members of the St Vincent´s Deaf Ladies Basketball Club
had been working extra a lot for gathering the money needed for
this training clinic. They hade been working in shops and affairs
putting food wares into bags and other jobs. Thus they could offer
Christian Boklund and me free local transports and accommodation
during whole week-end. Christian and I paid ourselves for the
flight-tickets Stockholm-Dublin round-trip. We would like to forward
our deepest admiration to the women-members of St. Vincent´s
Deaf Ladies Basketball Club for there dedication to the basketball
sport and to carrying through this training-clinic. No doubt the
Irish Deaf Sports Federation in here have the reserve for future.
Ireland Deaf women undertake
training clinic |
Aims and goals with DIBF clinics/seminars
The aims and goals with the DIBF coaches clinics/development seminars
are normally in the first hand to offer deaf basketball coaches
and leaders fundamental knowledge of how lead a basketball group,
make up plans for training and practice, to develop deaf basketball
in their home-countries and to give them self-confidence to approach
hearing basketball associations to seek co-operation and guidance
for their continued development. However, this training clinic
in Dublin mostly covered direct training of different moments
of fundamental character of playing basketball which also was
the intention of the clinic.
Lectures
There were training sessions Friday evening, all Saturday and
Sunday before noon with Christian Boklund and me alternating as
leaders. Mostly we trained them in fundamental basketball playing
and it was remarkably how they improved their play during the
"Kjell week-end". Coming season they will participate
in a hearing league. The coach Paul O`Callaghan attended the trainings
and made notes about them. According to him he felt very enthusiastic
of this possibility to learn how to practice basketball on international
level.
On Saturday evening in the Deaf Club we carried through an information
session about the work and program of the DIBF, relationships
with the FIBA, CISS and its Confederations such as the EDSO, PanAmdes
and more. There were many questions and enthusiastic discussions.
We also discussed relationships between the Basketball Club and
the Irish Deaf Sports Federation and how it works internationally.
We stressed the importance of following rules and procedures when
working in organisations and in creating international contacts.
We understood that the Irish Women Basketball Team wants to participate
in the European Championships in Ljubljana in Slovenia in June
2004. It our hope and wish that the Basketball Team and the Irish
Deaf Sports Federation will come to a kind of agreement.
Conclusion
The training clinic/seminar was, according to all participants,
a great success which hopefully will mean that Europe in future
will see the Irish Women Basketball Team take part in the different
tournaments and playing friendly games against other countries.
I am sure in future we will see the participants in leading roles
of deaf basketball in Ireland and with fully developed contacts
with the hearing basketball organisation of their home-country.
Respectfully submitted,
Kjell Gunnå,
Secretary General DIBF
