Omagh basketball team helping adults with learning disabilities

A BASKETBALL team that has been set up in Omagh for adults with learning difficulties has experienced significant growth in recent weeks after a very active summer season.

The Omagh Magic team have been meeting weekly in order to stay active and socialise throughout the summer months this year and are showing no signs of slowing down, having just gained a sponsor for their new club tops.

The team was formed by Robert Giles, a local support worker who assists adults with learning disabilities for Apex Housing.

Mr Giles spoke with the Tyrone Herald about how the weekly basketball games benefit the participants.

He said, “As a support worker, when I was undergoing my routine supervision, one of the big questions was ‘what are the aims and ambitions ahead in terms of activities with the tenants?’

“Well, I was always a big football fan so the idea of doing something sports-related stood out to me.”

The support worker then explained how it was a trip to the cinema with the residents that inspired them to delve into the world of basketball.

“We took the tenants to see the film ‘Champions’ in the cinema.

“A fantastic film it was, starring Woody Harrelson. He portrays a basketball coach who gets himself into some trouble and has to do community service, so he ends up coaching a team of people with learning difficulties.”

KEEN INTEREST

Mr Giles admits that he himself took a keen interest in the sport before proposing the idea to the tenants of Apex Housing.

“I thought it might be something that the tenants would be interested in.

“They are all very social people and are currently involved with a variety of local drama and social groups, so it just felt natural to do something sports-related.”

The Omagh Magic team meet once a week in the Station Centre in Omagh. Having started off with roughly six team members, they are now welcoming around 12 regular players per week with much more interest blossoming in the activity as the weeks progress.

“We initially reached out to the Station Centre as that is where the Omagh Thunder basketball team train, and Jerome, who works in the centre, could not have been more supportive.

“In recent weeks we have welcomed people from both Apex Housing and Mencap, as well as others who live at home with family members… Everybody is welcome!”

The support worker continued by explaining the next step in their venture as interest in basketball continued to grow, saying that, “It definitely started to get busier in the summer as other clubs and groups were closed throughout those months.

“As more and more people started to show up, it got harder to remember who was on each other’s teams, so it was time to get some club tops organised.”

Robert then reached out to The Coach Inn to enquire about sponsorship.

He explains that, “Conor Quinn and the staff couldn’t have been more generous in agreeing to sponsor the new tops.

“We were all grateful as The Coach is somewhere that the tenants love to go to eat and socialise.”

BENEFITS

Mr Giles concluded by explaining the overall benefits that basketball has had on the Omagh Magic players.

He said, “The staff from Apex Housing often come along with tenants and also love taking part.

“We’re all equal out in the court and the tenants love playing with the staff.

“There are also the physical and mental benefits that come with such an active sport but personally, I get a lot out of seeing the tenants having a laugh and smiling, and some of my co-workers who have attended games have said that they have never seen them so engaged in an activity like it.”