Silver and bronze medal success for sports students

Student athletes at Walsall College have come away from a national tournament with silver and bronze medals.  11 Supported Learning Sport Academy students received silver team medals in PAN disability football and four students were awarded bronze team medals in boccia.

Level 3 sports coaching and development student, Daniel Hartill also received a silver medal as part of the West Midlands cross-country team.

Andy Higgins, lecturer and team coach said: “This is a tournament where the most dedicated and talented college athletes come together to give it their all, which is exactly what our students did.”

The 42^nd AoC National Championships were held at the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and Willow Sports Centre, Derby.  More than 1,500 students from 91 colleges took part in 12 different sports and were supported by 282 staff.

As part of the opening ceremony, a procession of regional flags took place with football team member, Abdoulie Joof representing the West Midlands along with a student from another college.

Lecturer, Jon Bradley added: “This whole tournament has been invaluable for our students.  For some of them, it’s been their first ever weekend away from their families.

“They all enjoyed bonding as a group and speaking to new people.  We know this will further build on their abilities and confidence, making them fantastic role models for students competing in other tournaments this season and next year.”

AoC Sport Director of Sport and Student Experience, Dean Hardman said: “We were delighted to see the return of the AoC Sport National Championships for the first time since 2019 and the much-needed opportunity for our talented athletes from across the country to compete against each other at this fantastic event.”

Students interested in playing sport and representing the college in future tournaments should contact Mark Howard at howardmark@walsallcollege.ac.uk