Week 11 of the Vice Chancellor’s Cup, saw staff learn a new sport, Goalball, a paralympic sport designed for visually impaired athletes.
The game:
The aim of the game is to score goals. Teams consist of three players who work together to defend their goal, which is 3 metres wide, whilst blindfolded. The opposition team, also blindfolded, must roll their ball towards the other team and get it past their defenders and into the net to score a goal. Silence is key to this game, as the ball used contains a bell, enabling players to hear the direction it’s coming from. Games are played indoors, with mats laid out to define the team’s area. Each game lasted three minutes.
The drama:
As perhaps predicted, this event saw a few mishaps. With players unable to defend their face, or other sensitive areas from the unseen ball, many players left the court a little worse off than when they arrived. Living La Vida Mocha, put on a brave face after one of their players took not one but three balls to the face! This didn’t stop them from playing on though, going for each ball with 110% commitment. ToMORA Never Dies took a few mins to compose themselves after one of their players saved the goal, taking on a difficult hit in the process, leaving them slightly breathless. Other teams saw battered noses and some scrapped knees and elbows, but all in all, everyone walked away smiling after having a great time.
Results summary:
DoNATS finished 1st in the event, after successfully winning all their games. RISistence is Futile and U Bunch O’Kents performed very well, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. Living La Vida Mocha narrowly missed out on another top 3 finish, though their level of commitment won over everyone’s admiration. And credit to LeJendSS for an impressive most improved performance, going unbeaten on the 2nd day of action.
All players involved demonstrated fantastic coordination and listening skills, patiently waiting for the ball to move, listening and moving accordingly to prevent the ball from entering the net. With players flinging themselves left, right and centre, this was certainly a fun game to play and watch!
Next up in the VC Cup contest is Board Games, taking place in a couple of weeks. You can view all past VC Cup results and upcoming events on the VC Cup webpage.