Athletes from the Vancouver Power Soccer program gathered for a season wrap-up tournament at Ecole Maillard Middle School in Coquitlam. The athletes played three fun and competitive games with friends and family cheering them on.  

“Power soccer is competitive, but it’s also a lot of fun,” says Cole, a player and coach for over 16 years.  “I have met some great friends and I love the community, and my teammates are now great friends who I can talk to about anything.”

Power Soccer is an adaptive sport played by power wheelchair users.  Players use their wheelchair to navigate around on a gymnasium floor, usually the size of a basketball court.  Players “kick” the ball using a footguard—a rectangular frame that is securely attached to the front of the chair.

The sport uses an oversize soccer ball that is much heavier than a typical soccer ball. Two upright posts are placed six meters apart at both ends of the court to form goals. Each team has four players on the playing area: a goalkeeper, a center, and two wingers. A game begins with a kickoff at center court. The game only pauses when the ball goes out of the playing area, when a goal is scored, or when a foul occurs.

“Players get excited when we put the jerseys on the back of their chairs to form two or three teams,” said Team Manager, Natalija Manigoda. “However, because of limited funds, our players only join national or other tournaments by invitation only instead of as one team.”

Players may be invited to compete in the annual national tournament in Montreal, Defi Sportif, or the Schroenek Cup in Alberta, where they face teams from across the country.  

“I didn’t think the sport was that big until I went to Alberta last year and saw all the players there,” said Cole, who enjoys traveling to different places for tournaments.

Currently, nine active players are on the Vancouver Power Soccer team. The team trains on Sunday afternoons at Killarney Community Centre in Vancouver. The two-hour session includes skill improvement drills with the head and assistant coaches in the first hour, and a scrimmage in the second hour. For over 20 years, SportAbility has been supporting the Vancouver Power Soccer team to host and promote events and to recruit volunteers.  

“Power soccer improves the players’ confidence,” Natalija emphasized. “They suddenly can see that there’s something that they can do rather than focusing on their disability.  They can be part of a supportive community.  It also allows parents and caregivers to exchange ideas and talk about different medical conditions.” 

Shayne, a player with Cerebral Palsy who competes at a high level, is one of the beneficiaries of the sport.  When he first joined power soccer, he had a hard time even driving the powerchair, but his driving ability has significantly improved along with his power soccer skills.  Now, he is a sixteen-year veteran of the sport who keeps improving.  “It is a rewarding experience,” he says, smiling.

Both the Vancouver power soccer team manager and the players welcome those who want to play power soccer to join the community.  Despite taking some time to get into it Bhavyn, a female athlete of twelve years, reflected “I gave it a try and then I liked it.”

“I’d give it a try,” echoes Cole.  “I started off with just a plastic guard. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the sport right away, but the more time I put in, the more practice I got in, I just fell in more in love with it. It isn’t always going to be perfect all the time; there will be ups and ups and downs, but that’s with any sport and in general, so just stay with it, like I have. Gradually, you’ll become a better and rounded player.”

The Vancouver Power Soccer program kicks off their fall season in September, along with other programs around the province in Maple Ridge, Nanaimo, and Kelowna! If you want to join a fun sport with a supportive community that turns teammates to friends, visit our programs page to learn more.