'It means a lot to me': Regina power chair soccer brings joy to players
12h ago
The league, which has around nine players, is hosted by FC Regina.
Jamie Mckenzie spends every Saturday playing power chair soccer with his friends.
He’s been playing since 2003.
“You make a lot of friends … with other people,” he said with a large grin.
Jamie Mckenzie has been playing power chair soccer for 22 years. He hopes to help recruit more players and become a coach. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)
The game is played with four players on each team, including a goalie. Everyone is in power chairs with a special attachment called a “bumper” to protect the chair and score goals.
“That’s how you hit the ball all the time,” Mckenzie said. “That’s how you score and pass and try corner kicks — but we haven’t really got there yet,” he said with a laugh.
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Listen to Mckenzie on Behind the Headlines:
Mckenzie, 53, is a force to be reckoned with on the indoor court. He whips his chair around quickly and zooms by other players.
He makes scoring a hat trick look easy.
“I have to play all of them (positions),” he said.
“It’s hard — sometimes you have to back up in a power chair. It’s not easy to back your chair up to defend the other team.”
But for Mckenzie, the game means a lot more than just scoring goals and making friends, it’s also about accessibility.
“It means a lot to me,” he said. “It means a lot to all of us that we can play a game that is maybe the only sport that power wheelchairs can play.”
Mckenzie says he appreciates the accessibility of the game. (Saskatchewan Soccer association/submitted)
While his playing days might be limited, he plans to step into a new role on the court.
“I want to be a coach someday,” he said.
But he plans to keep his best moves a secret.
FC Regina’s role
Regina’s power chair soccer league is put on by FC Regina. It adopted the program from the University of Regina.
Power chair soccer players at the University of Regina. (Saskatchewan Soccer association/submitted)
It opened up its doors in the first week of January and has about nine athletes who come out each Saturday.
Eden Senger, director of club development and participant experience with FC Regina, said the sport doesn’t just bring joy to the players, but to everyone involved.
“It’s so much fun,” she said.
“The only way I get to coach power chair soccer is if I have amazing athletes that come to do it. They get up early, they get into the transit, it takes them hours to come out here, to get unloaded and get the bumpers on. I’m so proud that they come out every week just to give me that joy.”
Senger said it’s an hour every week where the players can just come out, have fun and play soccer.
“Everyone deserves to come out here and play soccer,” she said. “So I’m so proud to be a part of this opportunity for them, but they make it what it is. Without them, we wouldn’t have this going on.”
Senger leads the team in a cheer following a scrimmage:
She challenges other clubs to be more inclusive.
“Just take a moment and look in your community to see if you can offer these types of programs,” Senger said. “There’s athletes out there, and they don’t know what’s available to them unless we put the work in to give it an opportunity.”
As for the future of the league, Senger hopes the Saskatoon team will come down for a match. She wants to see competitions with neighbouring provinces and even a nationwide tournament in Regina.
Saskatchewan Soccer Association provides funding
The Saskatchewan Soccer Association prides itself on creating a safe space for everyone to play soccer.
Akenke Oliver, member services coordinator with the association, said the program means the world to them.
“We have a strategy within our organization called ‘everyone’s game’ and, as the word says itself, we want to provide opportunities for soccer for people throughout Saskatchewan to be able to play, regardless of their financial, social or physical abilities,” she said.
Akenke Oliver is proud of the program and hopes to see it continue to grow. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)
The association receives funds through SaskSport. It has different grants that allow clubs and organizations to put on events like power chair soccer.
She encourages anyone interested in getting involved to reach out.
“Even if they don’t know where to start. Just contact us and we’ll guide you along the way,” Oliver said.
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