The Paralympic Games in Paris have the world’s sports fans enthralled with the determination, ability and will to succeed of all the amazing athletes taking part.

But while the pinnacle event for disabled sports draws the crowds, some equally exciting happenings are afoot at grassroots level, where participation numbers are on the rise.

The economic impact of parasports events in the US was $139M in 2022, a 78% increase from 2021, according to a 2023 survey by All In Sport Consulting.

This rise in economic impact and participation is being driven by a variety of factors, including increased visibility through global events, and better access to equipment and facilities that enable sport to be played by all.

​No more shooting between cones or through fluro training bibs lying on the ground. A Special Olympics programme in New Zealand is taking its football training to the next level with a set of new Packagoals from Packaworld International.

The portable goals are being used by the Special Olympics Hutt Valley to prepare for a local Tier 1 Football Tournament in May and then the big one later in the year – the Special Olympics National Summer Games in Hamilton from 8-12 December.

Mark Cullen, head coach of the Special Olympics Hutt Valley football programme, says the team is delighted with their new Football Packagoals.
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Children at six New Zealand schools have been side-stepping, tackling, kicking and dribbling their way to fitness with a little help from Packaworld International.

The Wellington-based company provided a set of hybrid football/rugby goals to Wellsford School, Pukeoware School, Turaki Primary School, Grants Braes School, Leeston Consolidated School and Rakaia School after they won a competition on Packaworld’s Facebook page.

The competition called on principals, teachers and send in inspiring nominations for their local schools, outlining why they deserved to win and how the goals would be used.

Pukeoware School in Waiuku received an impressive 15 nominations, more than any other school.

Young footballers in Waihi, New Zealand, kicked off for another year on Sunday when around 100 children and their parents made their way to Morgan Park for the first 2019 session of Waihi AFC’s Junior Football Programme.

This year’s programme has an expanded age bracket, allowing for older children to take part. Age groups range from 4-14 for both girls and boys, and each session includes skills drills and fun games, followed by a match.

Programme organiser Richard James said he was thrilled with the turnout and was looking forward to another successful year. New portable Youth Packagoals from Packaworld International were helping the programme to grow, he said.

Match days against other local clubs were being planned throughout the season, in addition to the regular Sunday sessions at Morgan Park, to give your players a chance to test their skills against others in the region.

An inflatable football pitch made its New Zealand debut recently as part of a pioneering after school programme being run at Glenview School in Porirua.

The programme – known as the Homework Club – sees volunteers from the community and local businesses visit the decile 1 school twice a week to talk about their work and help out with activities such as reading, cooking, crafts and sport.

​​Last week’s Homework Club focused on sport and saw around 20 Glenview students don the footballing colours of Germany, Netherlands, Portugal and France for an afternoon of football fun.

More action, more time on the ball, and more fun. That’s the difference a new fully-contained inflatable pitch is making for children taking part in the Grasshopper Soccer Redlands junior football programme in Queensland, Australia.

The programme is run by William Fraser, a former Queensland U18 national premier league assistant coach and Brisbane Roar community coach.

Mr Fraser has coached football for 20 years and now devotes his time to developing the next generation with a programme that focuses on improving children’s athleticism and motor skills using the beautiful game as a vehicle.