The London Cannonballls Boccia Club was founded in 1989 by Canadian Paralympian Debbie Willows. It is a local club that caters to athletes with disabilities. Boccia is played indoors with leather like balls. It allows people with disabilities to be active and have a sense of belonging to a sports team. It is a game that anyone at any age can play, whether you can throw, kick, or use a ramp.
The Cannonballs are an incredibly positive force in lives of many. From recreation to competition, London Cannonballs athletes transcend their disabilities with every ball they throw. The club provides opportunities to beginner players as well as elite athletes.
The club assist athletes in travelling to competitions in Ontario, Canada, and the World. Some club members have competed at World Championships, ParaPan-Americans, and Paralympic Games!
Whether you just want to play this great sport and meet new friends, or play competitively, the London Cannonballs Boccia Club is the club for you! We practice every Wednesday night from 6-8pm at the Stronach Community Centre. If you are interested in joining or just want to check it out, please contact us at londoncannonballs@gmail.com.
What is Boccia
Boccia is a Paralympic sport that is similar to lawn bowling and curling, but it is play indoors on a court that is similar in size to a badminton court. There are 6 red, 6 blue balls, and 1 white ball which is called the Jack. The object of game is to get your colour balls closer to the Jack than your opponent.
There is individual, Pairs, and Team play. For individual and Pairs play there are 4 ends, and for Team play there are 6 ends.
Boccia was designed for people with severe Cerebral Palsy, but now it is enjoyed by players with a wide variety of disabilities.
If you can’t throw, no worries! Balls can be thrown or kicked. If a player can’t throw or kick, they can use a ramp. If they can’t let the ball go with their hand, they can use a head or hand pointer. There are 6 different classifications in Canada – BC1, BC2, BC3 (ramp players), BC4, BC5, OPEN.
Boccia made its debut at the Paralympic Games in 1984 held in New York City. First Paralympic debut had 19 athletes represented by 5 different countries. Today, boccia is played in more than 75 countries worldwide with 116 athletes that competed at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021.
Volunteering
We are always looking for volunteers. This is a good volunteer job for high school students to get their hours. Also, we host an annual tournament called London Cannonballs Boccia Blast which attracts athletes from across Canada, and we are always looking for volunteers to help at this event. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at volunteering.boccia@gmail.com