All Ability Events 

TSSSA delivers 10 all ability events for our disabled athletes on the calendar with great success and positive numbers. We have had wonderful collaboration with each of our Schools and our RSO development officers.


Click on the events below to explore and find out more about each experience. 

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Our Schools Involved 

Coastal Taranaki School

Francis Douglas Memorial College

Inglewood High School

New Plymouth Boys' High School

New Plymouth Girls' High School

Opunake High School

Patea Area School

Sacred Heart Girls' College

Spotswood College

Stratford High School 

Taranaki Diocesan School 

Te Paepae o Aotea

Waitara High School


RSO support

Outdoor Bowls Ian Lewis Taranaki Bowls

Hockey Taranaki Hockey development officer and Denise Hill Chief Executive officer

Golf Croquet Ricardo Pinto Community Liaison Park Croquet Club Hawera & Peggy Smythe Liaison West End Croquet Club

Snag golf Taranaki Golf Lucinda Searle and Chris Hill

Boccia Parafed Taranaki Tracy Cocker and Molly Howatson

Athletics Taranaki Athletics Melissa Maw Chief Executive and TET Athletics staff

Indoor Bowls Parafed Taranaki and the Halberg Foundation

Cricket Taranaki Cricket Liam Muggeridge and Jordan Gard

Gymnastics Waitara Gymnastics Club Hayley Jury and Shirley Baker

Swimming Wai o Rua Stratford Pools Manager Taneal Goddard


Outside agency disability support

Tracy Cocker and Molly Howatson Parafed Taranaki

Max Pringle Halberg Foundation

Steve Lyster Special Olympics


Allowing all students to be involved in our events has been exciting.. Some students want to participate but preferred to watch before joining in. We take time to build relationships and help all students to feel comfortable in a new environmnent. We encompassed warm up time so students could feel more relaxed, less anxious and know what they were doing before starting. We Include 2-3 different variations of activities at some events e.g. during our athletics shot put event we had 3 throwing stations set up. A bean bag throw into a hoop, a soft foam shotput and a heavy hard plastic shot put and marking pegs. This means that each student can work at their own pace and be included immediately in the activities and have some success.


Our philosophy was to ensure all students have many attempts at learning a skill or completing a task, the more they touch the equipment, we hope the more involved and fun they will have. We also understand that some students will not join in physically, so we are able to give them some different roles on the day, such as helping collect in balls at boccia, being a helper with a group, sorting out the squeaky chickens ready for the relay races at athletics. Putting out cones, collecting in equipment at the end. Every student is included and feels part of the event in their own way.


Josh (FDMC) and Portia and Eden (NPGHS) have been our leaders at events in 2023 and 2024. We have Lily and Linda (IHS), Cruz (FDMC) and Cash and Ashleigh (Spotswood College) who have helped in 2025 and 2026. They have welcomed schools arriving at the venue, been a group leader for boccia, athletics and gymnastics. Handed out certificates, helped with the BBQ, thanked all schools at the end of an event and led the karakia. Giving our students some leadership and responsibility has improved their confidence and communication skills

All Ability Gymnastics


Our All ability Gymnastics event takes place at the Waitara Gymnastics Centre in Waitara. Students arrive and check in about 9.40am and are ready to begin at 10am.

All students rotate around 7 stations with approximately 10 minutes at each station.  School staff members help us group the students, they enjoy mixing with their friends from other schools. They have time at each station and rotate around the room.  This prevents them from staying on their favourite equipment too long, which ensures others get a turn.  Rotations will give them a variety of gymnastics apparatus, including the foam pit (always a big favourite), swingnig on the bars and balancing on the beams. Where possible each station will include alternative activities to ensure accessibility for our wheelchair users. 

Each group complete 3 stations and have a 15 minute morning tea, then they finish with the last 4 stations before Prizegiving. 


Our students help give out certificates and ribbons during Prizegiving and thank our helpers. Our student Sports Leaders assist at these events, Waitara Gymnastics Club staff and all Learning support teachers and assistants. Parafed Taranaki and the Halberg Foundation also help deliver at this event. 





All Ability Snag Golf

Our All Ability Snag Golf takes place at either Inglewood Golf course or Stratford Golf course. Student arrive and rotate around 3 stations that featute fun games and skill based challenges, to develop some new skills in putting, chipping and driving.

All student have access to their own club and these are giant plastic snag golf clubs and larger balls, we have left and right handed clubs available. Student learn how to hit the ball and they have a variety of targets, flags, to aim for. TSSSA, Halberg and Parafed Taranaki, Sport Taranaki staff all assist at each station.  The students spend about 20 minutes per station and break for morning tea for 15 minutes.

After morning tea, in small groups supported by adult mentors , the students play two holes on the golf course so they can use their new skills. They aim at hitting the flag rather than sinking the ball in a hole. 

Over the last three years, skills have developed and in 2026 some students were able to play with actual golf clubs and balls. Some students are even members of local golf clubs throughout Taranaki. 

Prizegiving follows before they finish at midday. 



All Ability Hockey

This activity is a big hit with the students. We teach them some basic skills sucj as trapping and passing the ball, incorporating fun games to help reinforce these techniques. Students are then split into smaller teams for some small sided games, finishing with some shoot out challeneges. Will students need to wear shoes, mouthguards, hockey sticks, and softer balls are provided. Safety is our top priority and this activity fits with the Hockey No Limits programme to provide a safe and supportive environment. 

TSSSA will provide each student with their own bright coloured mouthguard at the beginning ofthe session, which they get to keep afterwards.