Wheelchair basketball attracting interest
Smiles and laughter filled the Swift Current Comp. Gymnasium as participants of all ages and physical abilities tried their hand at wheelchair basketball during a Have-a-go event.
The Saskatchewan Wheelchair Sports Association, in conjunction with some interested local families, held the free event on Feb. 22. The SWSA had previously been in Swift Current last June for a Just Try It event where they came with a variety of wheelchair sports.
“We saw that there was a really good turnout and a lot of the parents expressed interest in starting a club. So we figured that we would come back and introduce wheelchair basketball with the help of one of our wheelchair basketball coaches and just going a little bit more in depth in the sport and looking at applying for grants and possibly getting a club started,” explained Chantal Gosselin, Bridging the Gap Provincial Coordinator for the SWSA.
Gosselin noted that most of the people in attendance were also at the event last June. “We are very pleased with the turnout. There’s a lot of families that have children with physical disabilities here. A lot of these families do travel out of town for wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey. That’s why we are looking at a local club here so parents don’t have to travel two or more hours.”
Among the most engaged participants was 13-year-old Hunter Berg, who has cerebral palsy. He plays in wheelchair basketball tournaments with a Saskatoon team between two and four times per year. His family also drives to Regina for sledge hockey every Sunday as well as for tournaments. He has been playing wheelchair basketball since he was seven and sledge hockey since he was eight.
“It would be a lot less travelling for our family. To have something local for him and his buddies to come play with him, it would definitely be great for the community,” said his mother, Jenn Berg.
Another interested local party was Jennifer Speir, who has twin three-year-old boys, one who has cerebral palsy.
“We are just looking to get him more active in sports,” Speir explained. “There is nothing really available in the Southwest, so we were thinking about starting a league, sledge hockey, and wheelchair basketball as well. It’s nice because it kind of puts the boys on the same playing field. It would be nice to have something where they could play together and get their friends involved too and have an equal playing field for everybody.”
Berg and Speir are among the local parents hoping to establish wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey in the city.
“There are a group of us parents that are trying to get a league started in town. We are just kind of in the first stages trying to get the grants done and get some community involvement,” said Speir.
They hope to become a member of the SWSA and one of the first steps will be to acquire the equipment, followed by getting ice time and gym time. Gosselin said a good quality wheelchair basketball chair runs roughly $3,500, while a sledge hockey sled costs about $700.
Gosselin noted that there are already five sledge hockey programs across the province and that Swift Current would hopefully be the sixth. Wheelchair basketball programs only exist in Saskatoon and Regina so far.
“It’s very inclusive. Obviously it is aimed for people with physical disabilities, but a lot of times what we see is family members or friends of people or children with a physical disability, so it is nice mix between the two,” said Gosselin.
The SWSA will also be hosting a Have-a-go Ice Sledge Hockey event on March 21 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Credit Union iplex. The event is for people with or without physical disabilities of all ages. They are required to bring a helmet and gloves, but all other equipment will be provided. Contact Gosselin at chantal@swsa.ca or 306-9750824 to register by March 16.
“They can just show up and we will size them up for equipment and have them try it out. We will play some scrimmage, do some drills, very informal, very laid back, so people can try it out in a non competitive environment without feeling the pressure of either committing or having to have any skill,” explained Gosselin.