West Lothian football club to hold free sessions for visually impaired kids

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Bathgate Thistle Community Football Club have partnered with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland to host free football training sessions for children aged eight to 16 with visual impairments.Following a successful pilot last year, the sessions are set to be hosted in free one-hour sessions at the indoor hall of Xcite Bathgate every Sunday from 10am to 11am.The sessions will focus on training, development of fundamental skills, but favour on each individual having fun and building confidence, rather than on competitiveness.Specialised equipment will be used to be inclusive for children with visual impairments, such as brightly coloured bibs, and larger and brighter cones which are more visible.The training will take place on a hard indoor pitch with caging, making sure the ball stays within the pitch.The sessions are delivered by Bathgate Thistle Community Football Club, who offer support to the wider visually impairment football network.This network includes representatives from a variety of organisations and clubs: RNIB Scotland, the Scottish Football Association, Scottish Disability Sport, Rangers Football Club, Dundee United Football Club, and Bathgate Thistle CFC.Neil Atkinson,22, from Livingston, was diagnosed with the condition Stargardt’s macular dystrophy at the age of eight, and will be coaching the sessions.Neil plays with Scorpions Futsal Club, which last year made it to the FA Disability Cup, he said: “The sessions are pitched towards players with some level of sight - but each session provides different challenges for each player so it does certainly vary.“The hour-long sessions consist of short warm-ups then some focused training, working on fundamental skills; bulwark, passing,