Social sport for life

WITH the Victorian Seniors Festival currently being celebrated throughout October, the Myrtleford Lifeball Club is inviting people of any age group or physical ability to join in on the game. Club president and secretary, Janet Ivone, started Lifeball in the area in 2005 when she was working at Alpine Health as a diabetes educator. "Together with the brilliant Maureen Ryland, Alpine Health's health promotion officer, our Lifeball Club was started first in Bright, now it's hosted in Myrtleford through the University of the Third Age (U3A), which suits us very well," Ms Ivone said. "The goal is to promote easier physical exercise for older or not-so-able-bodied people. "The sport was first invented by an older couple, Coleen and Brian, who both loved team ball sports. "They designed all the rules of the game and received an Order of Australia for their contributions to senior sport. “It’s a very well thought-out game; designed for people to play inclusively, designed for safety without knocking people over and crashing into others. “It’s played by people of varying ability, some active, some not-so-active, but everybody adjusts for whoever you’re playing against, so the more active players get something out of it as well." Bev Cunningham, who has been a Lifeball member since 2009, said it's more active than it sounds. "You move around quite fast, there's just no running and you throw between shoulder height and the knees," she said. "The ball has to be passed to all teammates in one zone before it can move to the next one. "Lifeball is a game designed above all for safety, so everyone can play the game. "We don't do any scoring; to keep it friendly and fun. "It's a very social sport and you have a good laugh. "We have a cuppa before and after the game while we sit around and chat." Ms Ivone likened the sport to a more civilised version of netball and basketball combined. “It’s a mixture between the two, that’s the best way to describe it, but it’s played at a walking pace," she said. “We’d love to have more members, always, ideally twelve people creates two teams. “People don’t feel they need to come every week; it’s up to them. "If they want to go away on holidays overseas, then they can. “We can play with three people on each team; we modify the rules so we can still play, even if not as many people turn up. “Next year will be our 20 year anniversary," Ms Ivone said. “We will probably invite players from the other Lifeball clubs in Wangaratta, Benalla and Rutherglen to celebrate with us and mix people up to play with different teams: it’s about having fun. “A Fun and Friendship Tournament: though, not an actual tournament, as there’s no scoring!” “I’m currently an umpire because I’m out of action with an injury. “For the Seniors Festival, or anytime, we’re happy to invite anyone who might be interested to just come along and have a look and see.” New players who want to sign up must register with the University of the Third Age for insurance reasons so that if anyone IS injured, then the situation is covered. “We have a lot of fun, that’s for sure,” Carmel Wyatt said. Lifeball in Myrtleford is played every Friday from 11am to 12pm at the new Indoor Sports Stadium. For more information about U3A, visit: https://u3avictoria.org.au/

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