Hockey is quintessentially Canadian but the traditional sport requires full mobility. However, more and more, the essence of the sport is being adapted so people of all abilities can get in the game.
Enter: volt hockey.
“It’s kind of like floor hockey and it’s designed for those with limited ability,” said Rachael Hansen, the head coach of Volt Hockey in Edmonton. “They’re able to participate in sport regardless of any conditions they have or any mobility issues.”
Volt hockey is an all-ages game played on a court in specially designed, battery-operated chairs. The modifications allow participants with limited upper mobility to play hockey.
“There’s a little joystick that you use to control it — different speeds depending how fast you want to go. And the main difference, I think, is it’s three-on-three, compared to normal hockey, which is five-on-five,” Hansen said.
She’s been coaching the sport since this past fall and involved as a volunteer with Variety – the Children’s Charity of Alberta since 2021. Given the nature of the sport, each participant has different needs so adapting to meet them is an important aspect of her role, she said.
“It’s really important to include those who normally don’t get chances in normal society and make sure everybody is included.
“They’re able to participate in sport and feel that sense of being on a team and community and having equal playing opportunities.”
On Thursday, 10 kids and teens who are in the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital’s pediatric specialized rehabilitation outpatient program (SROP) strapped in and got to try the sport for themselves.
“Sometimes kids who use wheelchairs don’t have the same opportunities to trial sport and general recreation as other children,” said Shannell Corrodas-Kasper, a recreational therapist with the Glenrose program.
“So we want to ensure that our kids have the confidence, the skills, the ability to practise those skills in house, at the hospital and in the community.”
It’s part of a group called Real Fun Sports, which Corrodas-Kasper said provides evidence-based therapeutic recreation opportunities for children who use wheelchairs.
The first four sessions happened in-house at the Glenrose, where Corrodas-Kasper said kids tried out wheelchair basketball and rugby.
“Now we moved to the community to trial sports that are widely available. So we trialled sit skiing, we’ll trial bowling and today we’re going to trial some volt hockey.”
Parents can be overwhelmed with the mental load of day-to-day living with a disabled child, so having groups like Glenrose program eases the burden, she explained.
“It can be really time-consuming for parents to look for different pursuits, try different things. So groups like this kind of reduce those barriers and offer things in-house,” Corrodas-Kasper said.
Families are often interested in getting their kids into adaptive sports and activities but can face issues with costs, scheduling, the accessibility of facilities and even being aware of what options exist, she said.
“Groups like this kind of break down those barriers, and they can allow patients a chance to trial at a lower rate. And if they’re comfortable and confident and they love it, it allows for easier access to community sport,” Corrodas-Kasper said.
This was the first time Salam Mouath, who uses a wheelchair, has even seen something like volt hockey, let alone tried it. The 15-year-old was born with spina bifida and has been a paraplegic since birth.
“We’re people and we’re human too. So it’s a very good feeling, knowing that we have a lot of things to do,” the teenager said.
Mouath said seeing more activities become available for people in wheelchairs is touching.
“I’m not really good at things, but I love basketball,” she said. “I love fast things.”
Corrodas-Kasper said the kids in her program have dived into the sports they’ve tried with gusto, eager to learn and experience as many things as able-bodied kids do.
“They are so ambitious. They are so adventurous. So I really love being able to adapt programs, support patients when they’re trying new things, so they again feel confident moving forward when they can pursue things individually.”
She added it’s more than just having fun: “Activities like this are therapeutic and beneficial for overall rehab.”
Kids get some physical activity in, as well as socialize with their peers and are stimulated by new experiences.
“When playing a sport, you need to be able to listen to directions, follow cues, be aware of your surroundings,” Corrodas-Kasper said.
“It can build a lot of skills that are transferable to other areas of life.”
Volt hockey is for all abilities and interest levels, from casually once a week up to team levels.
“You can join the development team, which will end up competing in Toronto and even Sweden in September. So you can take this kind of as far as you’d like,” Hansen said.
While volt was created with the disability community in mind, Variety said it welcomes all community members to sign up for its volt recreation league, regardless of ability.
According to Hockey Alberta, outfitting one team with equipment costs about $70,000, so Variety – the Children’s Charity of Alberta relies on grants.
To learn more about volt hockey, how to get involved and how to support the program, visit Variety Alberta’s website or contact volt.coordinator@variety.ca.
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