New sport makes hockey accessible for youth with upper-body disabilities

Unlike other adaptive sports, Volt hockey allows athletes with limited upper-body strength to take part in sport using electric run chairs.

This year, the inclusive sport started up in Edmonton thanks to Variety Alberta, a province-wide charity supporting kids who live with disabilities.

J’ Ramsankar, Volt Hockey head coach, says the new sport has been life-changing for many kids so far.

"We just wanted to start a new adapted sport for kids who usually don't get to play," Ramsankar said.

Ramsankar says Volt hockey does not require the same upper body strength as adaptive sports like sledge hockey ⁠— which uses stick handling and can often involve contact.

"Volt opens the door for kids with upper disabilities, so kids who can’t play sledge hockey, they don’t have the physical strength, or are not allowed to do contact sports," said Ramsankar.

The sport is an adapted version of wheelchair hockey brought to Canada around three years ago from Denmark.

"A lot of them have never played sports before," said Ramsankar. "We’re starting with our basic fundamentals."

And with many kids just beginning to learn, some of those fundamentals include things like teamwork.

"When you’re so reliant on yourself or one person, and you’re always told you can't play, suddenly there’s a sport where 'Here are your teammates, they’re equal to you, and you have to work with them,' it's nothing like you’ve ever seen before," said Ramsankar.

Anyone is welcome to play the sport, so long as athletes can move one hand to control the joystick operating the mobile chair.

So far, there are two teams in our city, according to Variety Alberta, which will be heading to Calgary for a tournament in the coming weeks.

Ramsankar says the Edmonton volt hockey team hopes to start a full league soon to get more kids to join in on the action.

"When they score goals it’s so exciting," said Ramsankar. "It's the top of the world. They’ve won the Stanley Cup right here."