wheelchair hockey

[DannyG]

guys: need some help here.

We are re-starting up our wheelchair division of inline hockey play at the Xtreet Sports Center here locally. We played this sport three summers ago when I was in charge of the local parks dept facility. We are now part of my local private rink program. We are looking for other wheelchair hockey programs to participate in a national event.

Does anybody know of any?

There are specific requirements for this endeavor. We play 3v3, small goals (2 ft. diameter, round), no goalies, on a 75' by 70' rink (or cross-rink, with side-line barriers on a big floor). We use manual chairs only , no electric chairs. We do wear full equipment: helmets, gloves, leg guards, elbow pads, and skates (at least boots sans chassis/wheels). We play with a puck, and our game does not have any modifications from USAHIL rule book.

It is our intent to have our game sanctioned by USAHIL, and have it become the roller version of hockey all the way into the Para-Olympics. As most of you probably know, sled hockey is already there as the ice version of the game. We contend (self-servingly) that wheelchair roller is a much better version of the game. In fact, in contrast to the highly adapted sled play, wheelchair is exactly the same game as "regular," able-bodied roller hockey. We feel that is an important factor.

We would be happy to challenge any/all sled programs to get into their chairs and play with us at the InLine Cup this October (Las Vegas again?), and would welcome any new, start-up programs like ours to join in.

We are aware of the Power Chair programs in Canada and the U.S. Midwest. These programs do not meet the USAHIL requirements for rules/equipment at present, although we recognize their tremendous worth as programs unto themselves.

Please let any programs you might know of that we are looking for them. You guys that work at rinks might also think of starting a program yourselves, eh? Let's develop our great sport to this segment of the disabled athletic population and let "More Hockey for Everybody" be our credo.

Thanks! for any help you can give us.

[DannyG]

just trying to keep this thred up n the current board for a litle while longer...anybody got any help for us out there?

[RichardGraham]

Hi Danny,

I Googled and saw some information about wheelchair hockey in Orange County, California, and found a discussion we'd had about this topic lo those many years ago. But I don't believe I found anything current. Wouldn't Gary at USAHIL have that kind of information at hand?

[DannyG]

Hi Danny,

I Googled ...I don't believe I found anything current. Wouldn't Gary at USAHIL have that kind of information at hand?

yeah, I am talking with Gary and Jeremy about this...We are also going to approach Daryn about a challenge division at NARCh nationals...one where our team plays vs. able-bodied teams, with everybody in chairs...in which case, we will let IHC followers have the chance to take on the Main Xtreet Polar Bears in action..that is, if you're going to be at NARCh, and you got four guys willing to play us.

[RichardGraham]

Hey Danny,

Cool. I hope something comes through.

[DannyG]

just to keep the topic current...

We play our first wheelchair session tonight at the Xtreet Center. We did this back in the summer of '05 at the facility I directed with our local Parks & Rec dept and it was a great program. This should be even better.

I am building my own wheelchairs with bicycle tires and wooden frames. I've got it down to about $75 per chair now, compared to a minimum of $1495 new or about $800 on E-Bay. If you think about it, they built chairs from wood in the 19th century, they worked then, why not now...once ya figure out how to frame a wheel carriage that works with a cycle axel, the rest is easy.

I plan to build at least 6-8 of these, and I am now experimenting grandly with design specs. have named the two models presently extant "Xpyder" and "Xyclone." They gotta have names, and they gotta be "Xtreet" names. Will gladly accept any suggestions.

I'll chime in tomorrow with session results from our first, new foray into this.

[RichardGraham]

Hey Danny,

Those wooden wheelchairs are a neat idea. You definitely have to keep costs down. Keep up the good work.

[DannyG]

Thursday, February 21

Following our usual hockey school session, wheelchair hockey took to the Xtreet for the inaugural game...

One former wheelchair athlete from our '05 program -Don- was there, and he brought four extra chairs. Two new para athletes joined us, plus Robert's two sons, and Manny's cousin. Six of the kids from the hockey school stayed over to join the game. The para athletes played continually, the rest of us switched off, three ten-minutes periods of play.

Well...my team got killed, 7-0. My little kids couldn't manipulate the chairs well at all, everybody being new at this. Nobody could stickhandle well either. Pretty much Don and myself are world-class wheelchair hockey players. Robert, for a newbie, played excellently, and he and Don on the same team combined for 7 of their 8 goals. I sent about 6 passes right to various teammates who proceeded to flounder helplessly to no avail.

Everybody had fun, and the kids came away with a lot of respect for the wheechair guys. Next week, Todd and Eric will also be here, the kids have already asked to practice with the chairs, and we should all be a world better for all of it.

Frankly, if the initial interest and tonight's resultant enjoyment are a fair indicator, then this will become a very good program. We probably can get our requisite 20 players to produce four rostered teams for a full division of play.

I will produce another report next week, Thursday the 28th...Thanks to everybody for your reading interest.

edit post script:
Wooden wheelchairs worked very well...knobby tread bicycle tires great to maniulate with hockey gloves and a stick...one piece on each chair cracked, showing stress points that will be reinforced for next week..onward ever onward.

[DannyG]

for those who don't care, I might apologize that I am continuously bombarding you with these updates, but I am having too much fun to stop.

Friday, 2-22...built my third chair, one with a "t-frame" to hold the seat and the stabilizing front/back "little wheels." very stable, good speed, but smaller, 24" tires.

Saturday, 2-23, Saturdays are "hockey day" at the Xtreet center...several parents complimented the wheelchair program, stated their kids want to practice with the chairs during upcoming weekday After-School Hockey sessions...kids' apparently reported to their moms that Coach Dan wasn't going to let anybody play who didn't practice.

One mom outright gave me a $75 check to build another chair. Her son (11 year old) did fairly well in the game, but she reported being personally struck by her Thursday, after-game conversation with Manny, a new wheelchair athlete. Manny, apparently became friends with a number of our hockey family regulars, and he pretty much stated that this was the best thing he has done athletically in ten years. His being a former high school athlete after a car wreck he is just euphoric about his new sports life in roller hockey.

Gonna take that $75 and get to work on chair number 4 tomorrow (Sunday) morning. Admittedly, the knobby cycle tires work better than I ever anticipated. They would be hard to handle bare-handed, like for basketball, but are absolutely the thing for hockey.

back later with new updates...pleae allow me to encourage any of you able-bodied players out there to maybe start up a program in your area...the game is very cool.

[Hocki]

Hey Danny,

I just wanted to pop in to say that I think what you are doing is awesome. I have not seen this in my area yet, but hope that someday we'll see it all over.

I've never seen a game of hockey that wasn't great... (ice, roller, field, heck even air and bubble hockey)

Good luck with growing your sport.

[MBurke]

Danny,

Any chance you can post some pictures of this? I'm trying to capture what the chairs look like but my imagination is lacking.

[DannyG]

need some help with that...tried the attachment feature, but says my picture has too many bytes...how to I do this?

[MBurke]

need some help with that...tried the attachment feature, but says my picture has too many bytes...how to I do this?

Best bet is to go here and upload them - it'll give you links you can post:

http://imageshack.us/

[DannyG]

Wheelchair update, second game, Thursday, Feb 28th...

Bad luck, Don got stuck in Las Cruces and Todd had dental surgery, so neither of them, nor the extra chairs that Don was going to bring were available. We had to make do with five chairs only...my four constructed ones, and Manny's chair.

Played a 3v2 game, which was very much okay with everybody (nine players switched off), but suffered all the inherent limitations that 3v2 games have. Inability to effectively move a wheechair was still a problem for our able-bodied players, although the players returning from last week were markedly better. The two new players agreed they need to practice and get better.

Manny got six goals tonight. He needs to work on stickhandling, but did create several moves and plays that worked for his team.

So, good, if not quite great, game. Wheelchair hockey does indeed work, and we are on our way. By next Thursday, I should had 6-8 chairs built, and nothig will stop us from a complete 4v4 game every week.

Back next week with a new report.

[DannyG]

wheelchair update, game 3, Thursday, March 6;

Great game, lots of players, lots of action...

1. as everybody works this new activity into their schedule, more players are coming out to play. Todd was able to play for the first time, he played with us two years ago, and still has all his equipment from the Summer of '05.

2. Robert, Don, and Manny were also there, so now we have four para-athletic players, plus myself, Cruz (Manny's cousin), and our associated "riff-raff" - able-bodied youth players who beg to play. twelve players last night.

3. much better game in terms of play of the game...players much better at wheeling, shooting, although game ended 1-0, a far cry from the 8 goals each of the first two contests.

4. I had to criticize and admonish everybody to start carrying the stick correctly while wheeling. This is a skill that takes time to master. Majority of players didn't work at this skill, and carried their sticks one or another "lazy way." Problem is, when the puck shows up at your doorstep, you then cannot get your stick into play quickly, and you miss the play...sounds like regular players who don't keep their stick on the floor, eh?

So, in week three, program is growing, players getting better, looking forward to week four. We now have six wooden chairs, so we will be able to play no matter who has their own chairs or not.

see everybody next week.