Austen Fitzpatrick listens in as his friend Roane Kaupp gives him pointers on sledge hockey. Kaupp plays on Medicine Hat's Jr. sledge that participated in their first jamboree in over two years last weekend. -- NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Hatters received the full experience of the sledge hockey community this weekend.
Medicine Hat Adaptive Sport and Recreation hosted its first sledge hockey jamboree in two years this weekend. The three-day event at the Big Marble Go Centre featured a junior and intermediate team from Calgary taking on two junior and two intermediate Medicine Hat teams. The jamboree also had a community try-it event Saturday afternoon for anyone interested in sledge to get out on a sled and try the sport.
Derek Whitson, lead volunteer with MHASR and two-time Paralympic athlete in sledge hockey and soccer, says he loves to involve the community and was happy with the turnout for the try-it event.
“We always love having our community involved, they’ve always been great in supporting us.,” Whitson said. “To be able to give back and allow them to try the sport we love and show them what we do, is always something we look forward to. And then to find out we have such a great turnout, it shows you we’re doing the right thing.”
For 14-year-old Austen Fitzpatrick, sledge hockey is a sport he’d wanted to try for quite a while. He came out to MHASR’s try-it event alongside his friend Roane Kaupp, who’s played sledge hockey for six years.
Fitzpatrick says it was fun, and that having Kaupp help him made him more comfortable to get on the ice.
Kaupp says it was a pretty fun experience teaching people how to play and showing them how it’s done on the ice. The 13-year-old said his favourite thing about sledge hockey is the tournaments and people he plays the game with.
“Just hanging out with fun people,” he said.
This weekend was the first time Medicine Hat sledge hockey players like Kaupp had a chance to play people from outside Medicine Hat.
Whitson says it was nice for the kids to be able to experience that and enjoy the weekend.
“The fact we were able to play, it’s for the kids. We have our adults as well but for them to be able to play actual meaningful games against another city and then themselves is everything,” said Whitson. “They work really hard week in and week out and they look forward to these events. There’s only two or three of them a year so for this one not to be cancelled, it means everything.”
Maureen Feenstra took part in the try-it event with her daughter, Hailey King, watching from the lobby.
Feenstra says she enjoyed it and had fun skating with a sled for the first time after watching her daughter do it in Calgary for years.
King says she thought her mom did pretty good but didn’t think she would be ready to suit up for Calgary in a game.
“Having watched her play so much I figured out a few things but it’ll take me years to catch up to where she is,” Feenstra said.
The mother-daughter duo both said it was nice to be able to play tournaments once again, and they enjoy the people within the sport the most.
“Honestly I think it’s the people, I really enjoy it a lot. Skating is pretty fun because unfortunately I can’t do skating with skates so I love sledge hockey. I have a lot of fun with everyone,” King said.
Feenstra said as a parent she loves sledge hockey because no player is separated from the group based on abilities, they’re all a community.
“Just the social aspect of it and being with other parents who also have kids with challenges, it’s awesome,” Feenstra said. “It’s a huge community, it’s not just Medicine Hat-Calgary, it’s just sledge hockey and it’s a huge community. You cheer everyone on.”
Whitson reflected the same message of community within the sport and says it spreads across the province.
“Just across the province of Alberta we’re sticking together to grow the game and we are just a giant family that really relies on each other and supports one another and wants to see the best for the athletes,” Whitson said.
He wanted to give thanks to all the families and volunteers that helped out and all the athletes for being understanding and going with the flow. He also said they are always welcoming new players, no matter the ability.
“You don’t have to have a disability to play, that’s the lovely thing about this sport,” Whitson said. “We have a lot of families that play and friends that come out so we’re always willing to take anyone that wants to give it a shot and we’ll teach you have to do it.”
