ABOUT US
The Multiclass Sports Association (MSA) was founded in 2013 by group of teachers and parents from Ashwood and Rossbourne Schools in Melbourne. The aim was to hold a snowsports event in conjunction with the Victorian Interschools Snowsports Championships.
The Multiclass Event was established to provide the support necessary for people with an intellectual or physical disability, who participate in and love snow sports, to partake in a race event with the extra assistance to do so.
Together with the DWA, a 3-day event is held at Mt Buller, with 2-days of instructed clinics on the slopes, followed by the race day, as part of the Victorian Interschools. Achievements are acknowledged at the evening presentation for Interschools.
our commitment to child safety
All children who are a part of Multiclass Sports Association (MSA) have a right to feel and be safe.
The welfare of the children in our care will always be our first priority and MSA has a zero tolerance to child abuse.
MSA aims to create a child safe and child friendly environment where children feel safe and MSA’s activities are always carried out in the best interests of the children.
Why Multiclass Sports?
MSA started with the aim of providing opportunities for people with intellectual and physical disabilities, to participate in sporting activities with the general public. Inclusion, as part of a mainstream event, promotes acceptance for all and fosters understanding and respect in the broader community.
Athletes confidence, self esteem, and social integration is enhanced, and importantly their physical fitness and body weight is significantly improved through this positive engagement. These sporting activities provide an opportunity for people with disabilities to demonstrate courage and compete safely and confidently against their peers in a race environment.
Special Olympics Pathway
From its beginnings, MSA has expanded to include school age and post-school age Special Olympics athletes, of many varied abilities. The event is recognised within the Special Olympics Australia Wintersports Program and therefore provides pathways to national and international competition for people with an intellectual disability. Each year Special Olympics athletes have participated in both the development clinics and race.
Divisioning
Multiclass includes athletes with physical impairments, intellectual impairment and Autism. A Multiclass athlete’s disability is recognised via classifications defined by School Sport Victoria, Paralympics Australia and Sport Inclusion Australia.
Multiclass race divisions replicate existing mainstream events, in that they are based on school year and gender, with both individual and school team races across all divisions. Additionally, Multiclass divisioning is further broken down into two subdivisions:
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Physical Impairment which includes athletes with motor, visual or hearing impairment.
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Intellectual Impairment and Autism which includes athletes with a Full-Scale IQ score of 75 and lower, and limitations in adaptive behaviour; or those with a formal diagnosis of Autism, ASD or Asperger’s syndrome.