Special Olympics floor hockey tournament brings Peterborough together

Sean Ellis has been been playing goalie for the Special Olympics floor hockey team of Peterborough for four years. On this day, Ellis and other players from 16 different teams around Central Ontario face off at the Special Olympics floor hockey Tournament at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough.

“I feel good, I feel really good!” said Ellis.

Sean’s father, Keith Ellis, said thanks to his son’s role on the team, he’s seen his son transform into a more positive person.

“As soon as he started playing hockey, his whole attitude toward life changed. He used to get very upset very quickly. Now very seldom I ever see him get upset, it’s just an amazing difference,” said Keith Ellis.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "As soon as he started playing hockey, his whole attitude toward life changed. He used to get very upset very quickly. Now very seldom I ever see him get upset, it's just an amazing difference," said Keith Ellis.

READ MORE: Peterborough Petes host hockey night to raise money for Special Olympics 

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And not only do the Ellis’s feel amazing, the organizer and coach of the Special Olympics floor hockey event, Ron Cambridge, is a big fan.

“I enjoy it very much, it brings me pleasure to watch. Seeing these guys out playing like any other athlete would play — it’s really nice to have,” he said.

Over 50 volunteers come together to help make the all-day event possible.

“We have Trent students that have come out today, we have students from Holy Cross that are out today to volunteer, we have a couple of retired nurses that are here for first aid, we have parents,” said Cambridge.

READ MORE: Peterborough to host 2018 Special Olympics Ontario School Championships 

Phil Parson came out to cheer on his son who has autism.

“All these organisations, the Special Olympics, the Special Hockey, they all have a common goal for the athletes that are involved to make sure they have fun first so it brings them all together as a group and because of that there is a lot of comradery,” said Parson.

But just because there’s camaraderie doesn’t mean there isn’t competition. Ellis describes his playing style as very “intense.”

Ellis’s advice for anyone else in a wheelchair is…

“Don’t let the chair stop you.”

The next Special Olympics event will be the school Championships floor hockey qualifier at the Evinrude Centre on April 20, 2018.