ORGANISATION SPOTLIGHT: THE WHEELCHAIR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
The Wheelchair Football Association is the lead organisation for the sport of powerchair football in England, focusing on developing the format, designed for people with high levels of physical impairment. The Football Association recognises The WFA as the sports lead organisation and sanction their competitions. The WFA has been a FA disability delivery partner since 2016, driving powerchair participation throughout England.
WFA’s MISSION
“Our original mission was focused on encouraging and promoting the sport of Powerchair Football with the object of improving conditions of life and assisting with integration into the game of football and society as a whole.
Whilst this is an ongoing process, our more refined mission is simply to govern and grow - growing the sport of powerchair football at its grassroots, whilst striving to govern it effectively and progressively.”
ENGAGING COMMUNITIES
“We engage with our community through a variety of ways, aiming to raise awareness and promote what we do. Internally, the use of a player rep on our executive board acts as a direct route to the playing community and them to us. On a wider level, the use of social media helps to share stories and news on a wider level.
This has recently been expanded on with the introduction of our powerchair app - the first of its kind - aimed at sharing news, competitions and the live streaming of our fixtures to our audience through a different medium.”
TECHNOLOGY AT WFA
“Streaming technology in particular has enabled us to capture footage of all matches, live, for all viewers - players, coaches and supporters. Prior to this, it was almost impossible for viewers to see games they were not involved with and learn from. So we are using technology to improve the standards of all players - both those at the elite levels and those less experienced and wanting to improve from those more experienced - enabling that performance insight to be available to all.
The development of a very cheap, small footprint, mostly automated filming set-up, coupled with pitch side commentary, means that players throughout England and the world can see matches and hear from players about the skills and performance on display. We now film over 200 games a year for a total cost of only £10 pounds a game.”
PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS
“One fantastic example is via a partnership with AWS (Amazon Web Services), who worked with us to use cloud services to deliver our streaming. They provided a financial grant and expertise which enabled us to significantly increase the quality (eg graphic overlays) and ease with which streaming is now delivered (eg automation) whilst keeping running costs down, which for a small charity has been absolutely crucial, whilst maintaining a high quality output.”
THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY AT WFA
“In the short term, the use of AI will enable us to further improve the streaming and match day experience. We are already experimenting with automated pan and zoom using AI ball recognition and can produce automated written match reports from AI analysis of commentary.
Longer term, research will lead to suggested adaptations to the materials used in and control algorithms used for the playing chairs - so that players can increase the level of control and skill which they apply to the ball.”
INSPIRING CHANGE
“Para sport as a whole fosters inclusivity and community engagement, which builds supportive communities, helps foster social connections and mutual understanding among participants, families, and supporters, which is a great example for sport and the wider world to remember.”
