Basketball enthusiasts in East Selkirk have something exciting to look forward to this new year. The Manitoba Wheelchair Sport Association (MWSA) is stepping up to the court, offering free wheelchair basketball sessions every Saturday at Happy Thought School. This initiative opens up a world of possibilities for athletes, ages 5 to 15, of all abilities, promoting inclusivity and community spirit through sports.
Starting Jan. 25, the new program, “Let’s Play,” will provide kids with opportunities to try out the sport every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. and will run until mid April.
“Our mandate at MWSA is to provide sporting opportunities for all Manitobans no matter their age or ability,” explained MWSA Executive Director Joey Johnson.
He has previously visited schools in the area that have asked him to host one-off wheelchair basketball lessons for gym class, and he has noticed the need for sports accessibility in the community.
“I got in touch with the Lord Selkirk School Division physiotherapist, Bonnie Tinker, and we both thought it was a great idea. We started the program in hopes of catching the interest of people in the area.”
Let’s Play is a drop-in program that MWSA members can attend for free. A yearly membership only costs $20 per person, and the fee helps cover the cost of supplies and programming that the association offers.
“We are centred around a physical literacy program with para-sport accessibility in mind. Kids will learn how to push a chair, pass the ball and how to participate in sports even if you have to use a wheelchair.”
Johnson is a wheelchair basketball player himself and it is evident that he is aware of the importance of sport accessibility in the province. Since he diagnosed with a degenerative hip disease at eight years old, he had to adapt his young, active lifestyle.
“My able-bodied sporting ability was taken away from me, so I know how it feels to be left out of sporting events because of being in a wheelchair. I started the program because I know that there could be another little Joey out there who is missing out on these opportunities.”
Johnson has represented Team Canada at five Paralympic games, and he was the first wheelchair athlete to be inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame. The Manitoban athlete is a proud advocate for sport accessibility.
He wants to ensure that everyone has the chance to be active, so everyone ages 5 to 15 is welcome to come and play some wheelchair basketball every Saturday afternoon. All you need to bring is a positive attitude because MWSA provides the wheelchairs free of charge to all attendees.
“We want to make sure that everyone can have fun while being active. If you are a wheelchair user and you want to bring your best buddies so they can try out a wheelchair, they are certainly welcome!”
Johnson just asks that you register in advance if you would like to attend one of their free programs so the team knows how many chairs to bring each week. You can email programs@mwsa.ca for more information on how to register for a Let’s Play session.
MWSA’s free wheelchair basketball sessions run on Saturday afternoons from 2 to 4 starting Jan. 25 until mid-April at Happy Thought School, 659 Quarry Road in East Selkirk.
