‘Get out and do things’: Saskatoon hosts first-ever power chair provincial soccer championship

(Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)

The first-ever Sask. Cup Power Chair Provincial Championship, hosted by the Saskatchewan Soccer Association, took place on Sunday afternoon in Saskatoon. The FC Regina Rangers faced off against the Saskatoon Rolling Thunder at Mark Tennant Field.

“The players are like just crazy excited for this opportunity. We’ve been training as a club for about four months but operating in Regina for just over a year and a bit now, so my players have a little bit of experience under their belts,” said Eden Senger, the director of Club Development and Participant Experience at FC Regina.

Just like in the name, the sport involves athletes in power chairs using their chairs to push a ball in between the opposing team’s goalposts. Each athlete has a bumper attached to their chair in order to maneuver the ball and provide some protection when bumping into other players.

“You have to really know what your chair is doing. You have to turn in on a real dime. We have to practice that and practice how to turn really fast. And you have to turn how to reverse. You have to go backwards, and you’re not used to it,” said Jamie McKenzie, an athlete on the Regina team.

While the game is similar to soccer, the challenge of maneuvering a power chair creates many different challenges for the athletes to adapt to.

“If you’ve ever played the video game Rocket League, this is why we remind you of a lot of bumping, a lot of, you know, trying to control a ball with a with a machine is a whole different scenario than it is with your feet. So soccer has its challenges, but power chair is a whole different beast,” Senger said.

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This championship game proved that interest in the sport is growing in Saskatchewan. Both teams say it took some time for the community to grow, but events like this one help raise awareness for the importance of accessible sports.

“Not everyone wants to sit inside all day. You kind of feel like you’re trapped in your house most times, in the wintertime, especially. So this is kind of nice to be able to get out of your house and get out and do something, you know, have a sense of community,” said Michael Maksymchuk, an athlete on the Saskatoon team.

“It’s fun, it’s enjoyable. You get to compete against someone else instead of always yourself with your own teammates. You can beat somebody else... Integration and accessibility for all sports should be for everybody,” McKenzie said.

Senger says the event was also the first game for many of the athletes, outside of scrimmages. And those on her team certainly appreciated the chance to travel to Saskatoon for the opportunity.

“It’s amazing how sometimes we can take things for granted, like being able to go out, kick a ball around the field, and play a scrimmage with our friends. This takes organizing, money, transportation, a lot of logistics behind it to make this an opportunity,” Senger said.

At the end of the game, Regina ended up taking the win, with a close score of 4-3. Organizers say they were encouraged by the turnout and plan to make the Sask. Power Chair Championship an annual event.

Athletes on both teams also say they hope the turnout of this game will encourage others to come out and give the sport a try.

“Just because you’re stuck in a chair doesn’t mean you have to be stuck inside or stuck hiding away. Get out and do things. Don’t sit around just because you’re stuck in a chair,” Maksymchuk said.