Children love to play. Whether that's doing arts and crafts or playing outside on a swing set, it brings young, developing minds enjoyment and fulfilment.
As much as I got stuck in with these types of activities, so I could be involved with my peers, I didn't feel a sense of triumph despite enjoying the fact that I was doing the same things as abled bodied children around me. This was until I found that my instinctive action of driving an electric wheelchair could be incorporated into two inclusive sports. From this moment on, this was my 'play'.
My name is Ellie Curran and I'm 18 years old; living with a condition called Cerebral Palsy, which predominantly affects movement and coordination, caused by damage to the brain. I have quadriplegic cerebral palsy, meaning all four of my limbs are affected as well as trunk control and my speech. This explains why I wanted to be like 'everybody else' growing up and, in fact, still do now. Yet I didn't really have a hobby that gave me great satisfaction.
When I started to attend clubs at Greenbank Sports Academy, however, this all changed.
Rewind to when I was about 8 years old, my family became aware of a ‘Unihoc Club’ that was being held at a local sports centre: Greenbank Sports Academy. As soon as I tried out the specialised powered wheelchairs that they use for the sport, I immediately knew that this was something that I was going to enjoy and be good at.
The sport is an invasion sport, with players using specially designed powered wheelchairs to control the hockey ball; the sport is now formally known as Power Hockey. The modified powered sports wheelchair used is moved by a joystick and has advanced speeds along with a button that allows the player to fire the ball. It is also equipped with a curved indent at the front, enabling players to keep possession of the ball and thereby subsequently dribble with it, and is surrounded by a bumper that permits players to bump into one another, i.e. to tackle them . The aim of the game is simple – the four player team that has the most goals at the end of the match wins.
Power Hockey was established by my coach, Gerry Kinsella. With Gerry also being the founder of the Sports Academy itself, he has always had the long lasting mission to combine sport and inclusivity, in order to make the passion for sport accessible to all. Over the last 21 years, Gerry has continued the innovation of Power Hockey by developing the specially adapted sports wheelchairs further and spreading awareness of the sport, hoping to get more young people across the nation involved. His aim here being to formulate competitive leagues. Power Hockey has taught me that everybody can find a hobby, regardless of their abilities, and seek some sort of competitive fulfilment in their lives. I myself found this to be true and attending Hockey Greenbank has given me major confidence socially, due to being a part of a team and being around the Academy itself. I resonate with Gerry’s mission and I am looking forward to this sport flourishing, making more and more disabled people acknowledge that Power Hockey could be their new hobby to pursue.
Even though it was the hockey ball that got me rolling, today, I mainly visit Greenbank Sports Academy to take part in their Power Football Club. Greenbank Power Football Club was founded after me and my teammates used to recreationally play with some footballs during Power Hockey, showing a real interest to learn the full ins and outs of Power Football. Power Football is a very logical sport, whereby players use modified electric wheelchairs to control a slightly enlarged football, with the aim of scoring a goal. The wheelchairs used are fitted with a bumper all the way around the wheelchair to allow a player to spin and hit the football. Power Football is very much similar to traditional football, with a few adaptations to the laws of the game, enforced by the FA*. Just some of the laws include:-
Each team is only allowed four players on court;
2 defenders only allowed in the penalty area;
A ‘push in’ replaces the traditional throw in and
Tackling is permitted but a player can still receive a yellow, or even a red, card if the tackle is reckless!
The reason why I enjoy Power Football so much is because of how logical it is, (the wheelchair has to be delicately moved in specific directions in order to hit the football at the correct angle), and the fact that Power Football is the only active competitive team participation sport for electric wheelchair users**. The team I play for, Greenbank Power Football Club, is extremely diverse, with people of different ages and abilities attending weekly sessions. The Club see Power Football as a recreational activity as well as a competitive sport. Players may solely come for the social aspect or wish to be enrolled in the league to play more competitively; this again is my form of 'play'! My Club competes in the North West Power Football League, travelling across the North West to play matches and earn points, aiming to climb up the league table. Even though the Club has only played league football for a few years, me and my team have made it to the playoffs multiple times but haven’t been promoted to the Championship as of yet - fingers crossed for the future! The sport is rapidly growing with the country having 55 established Power Football Clubs, multiple leagues and even a national team for the very best**.
I’ve noticed how the aspect of being part of a competitive sport can contribute to major life skills. For example, playing in league matches has really enhanced my teamwork, communication and leadership skills. This is because, I have to ensure teammates know where they should be in order to receive the ball and make sure that free kicks - (that the team had practised in training) - are executed correctly. I have deferred these skills into training sessions, by getting more involved with the developing players; teaching them the laws of the game as well as building a unique method of communication between the players, to improve them as players and individuals.
I think sport brings more to a person than people realise: the idea of deferred gratification, social integration, risk, reward and the development of key life skills. Within mainstream society, there are not many activities in which disabled people can experience these things. This is why awareness of Power Football, as well as Power Hockey, should be raised, as it will allow disabled people to go out and experience fulfilment from an activity that many take for granted.
If you would like to find out more about the Powerchair Sports Ellie is involved in, you can follow these links for some further details/info:-
Hockey:- https://www.greenbanksportsacademy.co.uk/inclusive-sport/power-hockey/
Football:- https://www.greenbanksportsacademy.co.uk/inclusive-sport/power-football/
Alternatively, if you want to find out more about Greenbank Sports Academy more generally, check out their website here:-
https://www.greenbanksportsacademy.co.uk/
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