‘You can make lots of friends’: Inclusive Volt Hockey organization hosting ‘Come Try It’ day

Volt Hockey London is inviting new players out to come try the sport for those with a disability, using specialized equipment. CTV London's Brent Lale reports.

Ethan Orchard never thought he’d be able to play a sport.

Born with Cerebral Palsy, Orchard, 22, discovered Volt Hockey seven years ago.

“What I like about Volt Hockey is once I’m in the chair – because I need help with that – I can do it all by myself,” said Orchard.

The specialized chair – which is like a Go-Kart – has a plastic stick at the end and a joystick to control the movement.

“There’s a few buttons that you can use to adjust the sensitivity of your speed,” said Orchard.

“If you want your chair a little bit faster or slower, the joystick let’s you move.”

His stepmother and team manager, Carrie Orchard, says Volt Hockey has given Ethan a chance to feel a sense of accomplishment.

“It was the first time he was able to independently play a sport without anyone else helping him,” said Carrie.

“He made his own decisions. He made his own body and chair go, and that’s huge. We’ve watched other families experience that same moment where they get to be a part of a team.”

Volt Hokey was developed in Sweden and has been played in Canada since 2016.

According to Variety Ontario, there are 50 teams around the world playing the sport.

Watching nine-year-old Nora Jones play brings a smile to your face. She can’t walk but is a little firecracker on wheels.

“What I love about Volt Hockey is disabled people like me can play,” said Jones, who admits she can’t be goalie because staying in one spot just isn’t for her.

“You can make lots of friends and play with friends. You can change your speed and control it. I like a lot of things about Volt Hockey.”

That social inclusivity is one of the key aspects of the game.

Variety Ontario found that 52 per cent of people with disabilities report having no friends.

“I enjoy socializing with people when we are playing in between games or sessions,” said Ethan.

“I enjoy scoring goals and I enjoy the tournaments. It keeps my mind focused and to have fun.”

London’s organization is expanding by adding a second level of play.

“We have our grass roots division, which is for new players or young players or those with maybe a little bit more intellectual disability,” said Carrie.

“It’s to just kind of learn the basics of the game. Then we have our competitive division, which is our more experienced players, that can get the game a little bit better. They can be a little faster and a little more of the skills involved.”

At London’s third annual tournament, they recently had visiting teams from Niagara Falls, Barrie, and Toronto.

“For those that have muscular issues or endurance issues or doesn’t have the arm or leg ability to play other accessible sports, this is a sport for them,” said Carrie.

“They can get out there and just use their joystick, play the game, and be a part of hockey, which is Canada’s biggest sport.”

London ‘High Voltage’ will be hosting a day where the public can try the sport on May 3 at Carling Heights Optimist Centre.