NEW SOUTH WALES
PUSH AND POWER SPORTS Inc.

Affiliations:  NSW Rugby League

Assisted by: The Northcott Society

Our Patron:  Alan Overton OAM

Frequently Asked Questions

More Questions?

1. What is Push and Power Sports?
2. Who runs Push and Power Sports?
3. Who funds Push and Power Sports?
4. Who can join the organisation?
5. How do I join?
6. How much does it cost to join?
7. Do I have to be disabled to join?
8. Where are the games played?
9. I want to help out - what can I do?

1. What sports are played?
2. Is there an age limit for playing?
3. Can girls play?
4. Can able bodied people play?
5. What is registration?
6. What type of chair can I use?
7. Do you provide wheelchairs?
8. Will I need a uniform?
9. What would exclude me from playing?
10. Am I covered by any sort of insurance?

1. What is N.S.W. Push and Power Sports Inc.?
   
   N.S.W. Push and Power Sports Inc. is a sports organisation catering for disabled athletes of all ages and gender using either power drive or manually powered wheelchairs. The sports that we currently play are Wheelchair Rugby League and Balloon Soccer. We are investigating the introduction of another version of Soccer in the near future.



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2. Who runs N.S.W. Push and Power Sports Inc.?
   
   N.S.W. Push and Power Sports Inc. is administered by a seven member board of directors, made up of both able bodied and disabled persons who are elected by the members on an annual basis. The members of the board are all volunteers and donate many hours of their own time in keeping things running smoothly. Any financial member of N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc. may nominate for a position on the board.



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3. Who funds N.S.W. Push and Power Sports Inc.?
   
   Whilst Push And Power is a non-profit organisation and, in the past, it has had great support from D-Sport (formerly the N.S.W. Sports Council For The Disabled). D-Sport closed down in December of 2005. The N.S.W. Rugby League (NRL) and Australian Rugby League (ARL) have been great supporters of what Push And Power stands for and generously assists in the annual funding of operations.
   
   Even though the donations from outside sources have been generous in the past, most of our funding comes through the annual membership fees, team registration fees. Outside businesses and individuals generally sponsor the teams within the competition.
   
   No member is paid a salary for their services to Push And Power and all money collected and donated is used to fund the purchase of equipment when required, payment of insurances and venue hiring costs, trophies for players at the end of the competitions and partial funding of the annual awards presentation luncheon.



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4. Who can join the organisation?
   
   Membership of N.S.W. Push and Power Sports Inc. is open to all members of the public, whether they be disabled or not, who wish to join. However, it is to be noted that under the Constitution of this organisation, all applications for membership must be passed by the board of directors prior to approval and an application review process is in place for all persons who wish to become members of Push And Power. Life Members are not required to submit applications or come under the review process.
   
   We will only accept player membership applications up to Round One of the Balloon Soccer Season as it will be too late in the season for new players to qualify for a spot in the finals series if they choose to join up later.
   
   NOTE: No general applications for membership will be accepted after the end of the first half of the Rugby League season.



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5. How do I join?
   
   If you wish to join N.S.W. Push and Power Sports Inc., you may download the required forms, Game Rules and Constitution from our Documents page or you may come to a game day and sign up on the spot.
   
   If you want more information on N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc., you can contact us using any of the methods on the Contacts.



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6. How much does it cost to join?
   
   Membership of N.S.W. Push and Power Sports Inc. is currently $15 and has been this low one off payment for 5 years. This fee covers player registration for both Rugby League and Balloon Soccer and generally is paid by each individual member. In some cases, we have found that the team a player belongs to may pay this fee for them. Unlike many other able bodied sporting organisations, there are no weekly ongoing fees to be paid before you can play on the day.
   
   Team Registration costs are $500 per team for Rugby League and $250 for Balloon Soccer. Team Registration costs are generally covered by the sponsors of the teams but if a team does not have an affiliation with a club or any other form of outside funding, each member of the team may be asked by the team manager to pay a portion of the team registration.
   
   NOTE: N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc. does not provide funding for any teams.



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7. Do I have to be disabled to join?
   
   It is not a requirement to be disabled for general membership of N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc., however, if you wish to participate in the games, you must be physically disabled to the extent that you would be fully unable to play mainstream able bodied sports. If a members disability is not obviously apparent, that member may be asked to provide written evidence of their disability in the form of either a letter or medical certificate from a doctor. Don't be offended by this request if you fall into this category as, under our constitution, only disabled persons may play our sports. It is also unfair to our disabled members if a space is taken on a team by an able bodied person.



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8. Where are the games played?
   
   Unless otherwise noted on the season draw or elsewhere on this site, all of our games for both Rugby League and Soccer are played at Kevin Betts Stadium, Ralph Place, Mt Druitt. Phone - (02) 9675 2362. (see map - the venue is the big black square). For people without a car or access to taxis, it is a relatively short distance to Mt Druitt Railway station (about 15 - 20 minutes walk/wheel). Unless otherwise noted, game day is Saturday and kickoff is 11:00am with games finishing at around 1:00pm, except fot the Finals Day when we start around 10:40am and run till around 1:30pm.





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9. I want to help out in some way - what can I do?
   
   Some of our individual teams are always on the look out for sponsorship and management, so if you think you can provide support in this area, you are welcome to come on any game day and talk to team representatives and make your own arrangements. To manage or sponsor a team, there is no requirement to be a member of Push And Power.
   
   At the end of the day, what Push And Power itself needs most of all each week to assist us in making each sports day run smoothly and be a success, are people who are willing to help set up the venue, score and time games, run lines and referee games. If you would like to assist us in any of these ways, just come along to a game and present yourself to one of our officials and they will gladly give you a task and a smile. It is preferable that volunteers become members of the organisation so they are covered by our insurance in case of any injuries that may be sustained performing any duties within the playing area (refereeing or running lines).

1. What sports are played under the Push and Power banner?
   
   The sports currently played are Push And Power Rugby League and Push And Power Balloon Soccer, with a proposed additional variation on Soccer to be introduced in the future. The Rugby League competition generally runs from March to August and, after a short break, the Balloon Soccer competition runs from around September to October. As the Rugby League season runs for approximately 14 - 16 weeks, games are generally not played during school holidays or holiday weekends so as not to disrupt the holiday plans of families. However, with Balloon Soccer being a shorter season, there are no breaks taken unless noted.



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2. Is there an age limit for playing the sports?
   
   We generally do not set any age limits for players on any of our sporting teams, however it is to be understood that anyone wishing to play must be old enough to understand the rules of the games played and be able to control their wheelchair in a fast moving game environment. As Rugby League is a fast moving contact sport, if there are any concerns about a member being too young to participate, it is advisable for parents to watch a game or two before allowing their child to join a team.



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3. Can girls play?
   
   Absolutely. N.S.W. Push and Power Sports Inc. does not discriminate against players on the basis of gender and actively encourages girls to join one of the teams that play. In fact, some of our teams already have girls playing on them and, at times, they have been known to give the boys a run for their money.



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4. Can able bodied people play the sports?
   
   Under the N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc. Constitution, there is no provision for able bodied persons to partcipate in the sports as players. We do, however, encourage able bodied persons to become members of N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc. which would give them voting rights at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), allow them to volunteer their services to assist us on game days and attend the annual presentation luncheon at no cost. We actively encourage players families and carers to become members and share in the fun with their children and/or clients.



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5. What is registration and why do I need to be registered?
   
   Registration is two-fold. Firstly, all players must register to play our sports for to be covered by our liability insurance in case of injury during the games. Individual players must register in the wheelchair that they normally use for sports. There is no individual player registration fee as this is covered by the initial 12 month membership fee. However, a team registration fee is payable by the club that the registered player is a part of.
   
   Secondly, registration is necessary for ensuring that teams adhere to our rules regarding the number of players allowed on each team, which in turn then allows us to identify teams that are short of players which new members may join.



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6. What type of chair can I use?
   
   N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc. caters for players who use either electric powerdrive chairs or manual push chairs. When a member registers to play in a team, they are asked to nominate the type of chair they will be playing our sports in and they are only allowed to play using that chair. If a person uses a push chair for every day use, but registers to play our sports in an electric chair, then they may only only play in that chair. If a members disablitly is one that is degenerative (such as Muscular Dystrophy) and they begin a competition season using one type of chair and change to a new chair during the season, that new chair will be the only chair they may use for the remainder of the season. Any form of electric scooter is not permissable due to safety and insurance considerations.



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7. Do you provide chairs for people who only use them for playing sports rather than every day?
   
   N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc. does not provide chairs for players for a number of reasons such as maintenance/storage costs and insurance issues. However, at times there are times that spare manual chairs are available at Kevin Betts Stadium that may be used by members of N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc. to play games. Users of these chairs are to note that they may not be in the best of condition and players use them at their own risk. N.S.W.Push And Power Sports Inc. takes no responsibility for any injuries to players who choose to use any of these chairs and players who are injured while using one of these chairs will not be covered by our insurance.



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8. Will I need a uniform?
   
   While thre is no official Push And Power uniform, teams generally wear the jersey of the football club that sponsors them or a top that has been provided by a non sporting club sponsor. The only requirements in the way of uniforms is that all team members wear the same tops and that they have their player number on both sleeves of a size that can be read from a distance by referees and linespersons. A number on the front of the top is not absolutely necessary but will assist team members to identify you during the games. A Push And Power logo will be supplied to all players to sew onto their tops.



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9. Are there any physical limitations that would exclude me from playing?
   
   There are few physical limitations that would exclude someone from playing our sports. As long as a person can control the movement of either an electric powerdrive wheelchair or manual push wheelchair, they can play. There may be some issues with hearing and sight impaired persons as they may find some aspects of the games difficult. People with speech difficulties would find it difficult in our Rugby League games where passing the ball involves calling out other players numbers, but if a person can show they are able to play with confidence, then they are welcome to have a go.



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10. Am I covered by any sort of insurance if I am injured or my chair is damaged whilst playing one of the sports?
    
    As a member of N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc. and a registered player on a team in our competition, you are covered by insurance for personal injury only while participating in any of our games. Due to the extreme nature and large amount of contact in our sports, any damage to players wheelchairs that occurs while participating in the games is not covered. Any injuries that occur outside of the game environment (for example travelling to or from the stadium, training days etc) are not covered by N.S.W. Push And Power Sports Inc. insurance. Any member who is volunteering their services within the game environment, such as refereeing or running lines, will also be covered by our liability insurance whilst performing the duties volunteered. Scorers, timekeepers and spectators are not covered by our insurance as they are not permitted onto the field of play during games.