On Wednesday the 17th of April, Volleyball WA, and our neighbours at Bethanie West Perth Social Centre, came together to deliver the 5th instalment of the Bethanie Aged Care Senior Volley Tournament!
Beginning in early 2022, this bi-annual event provides the opportunity for seniors residing in various Bethanie Aged Care facilities across Perth, to partake in a fun, social sport event. Anja Danner, the Social Centre Coordinator, said that “events like this enable our clients to participate in the community as many of them used to, in an adapted format tailored to their abilities. Sports and competition are an integral part of life for many, and to be able to continue to participate in these lifts both body and spirit. It provides opportunities to succeed, where the sentence ‘I can’t do this anymore’ no longer applies.”
VWA staff across all departments also got involved in the event, refereeing, collecting loose balls, and even cooking a BBQ for participants and staff following the games! The traditional VWA staff vs Bethanie staff match provided a lot of laughs, as well as some serious competition, with VWA managing to keep our win streak alive in a close contest.
The event would not have been the success that it was without the support of so many of our staff, sparing some time in their busy schedules. Hopefully, this event serves as a reminder to our organisation, of the joy that volleyball can bring to people from all walks of life, and the power that our sport has to bring people and communities together. We look forward to the next Bethanie Senior Volley Tournament Day later this year!
From humble beginnings at Bethanie West Perth Social Centre, our Senior Volley program has continued to expand across Perth and regionally. We now have ongoing programs at various aged care facilities and community groups, led by VWA coaches, whilst others opt to purchase Senior Chair Volley kits via our Volley Shop to play independently.
If you want to get involved in the Senior Volley program, please call our office on 08 9228 8522 or email [email protected].
