Games and Kites!

Outdoor games and kite flying go well together for an adaptive activities program in an urban park setting. Kites have universal appeal, adding a colorful festive element that motivates people to look up and enjoy the sky. A variety of games can offer people options based on interest and ability. Today for our REC Connect program in Worcester all that was needed was a parachute and a selection of soft balls and rubber chickens to offer a fun experience for a small group of people that came out to play. Shouts and laughter from our small group playing parachute games caught the attention of several people walking laps around the track in Lake Park.

With the lightest intermittent wind we were able to get a few kites to lift up off of a big playing field. A little bit of running gave a couple of kiteflyers some exercise and a more sustained flying experience. Small diamond kites are lightweight and allow for easy launching with a light steady breeze, even from a seated position. With increased wind, more types of kites can be flown, with team support if needed. Without wind, more types of games can be played. With both kites and games in motion, more people can be served. Our next adaptive games program will be at Holyoke Heritage State Park in downtown Holyoke on Saturday, May 19 from 1-3pm. For further information and to pre-register, contact Heidi Marie-Peterson at 413-577-3840 or heidi.marie-peterson@state.ma.us. We hope to see you there, and if not, the most important thing is to just get out there (even on a gray day!) and enjoy yourself!

Adaptive Games Debut Before Snowstorm

I took a break from preparing for a shockingly early snowstorm today to observe our first Adaptive Games program at Mt. Tom State Reservation in Holyoke. Lead by Heidi Marie-Peterson and a small group of volunteers, about 40 students from Chicopee High School participated in three rounds of outdoor games. Students with and without intellectual disabilities were paired up as Best Buddies. The Adaptive Games program offered new Best Buddies an opportunity to get to know each other and recreate together outside of school. Cold temperatures, wet ground, and the threat of an early snowstorm did not stop anyone from having a good time on the playing field near the top of the mountain!

Power Chairs on Ice - second round of a new contact sport

A growing group of power wheelchair users met at the Cronin Rink in Revere, Massachusetts, yesterday to play another round of a new game yet to be named. Is it power ball, power play, ice ball, ice soccer, or something else? Vote on your favorite name to the right!

Whatever its name-to-be, the game was played this time with two teams of four, crossways on the rink. Four players might be more cumbersome on a shorter ice field than three per team, but both sizes work. Thirty minutes seems like about the most time in which people can play together before cold sets in and a break is necessary.

We had four new players, Jeanette, Justin, Joe, and Brian, joining our returning enthusiasts Barry, Richard, Nick, and Tom. Jeanette became the first woman (who uses a power chair in daily life) to play and I noticed she gave the loudest whoops when a goal was scored. Everyone really enjoyed themselves. Brian, who came with others from Spaulding Rehab Hospital to try the game, said simply "I had a blast!" It seems to us that there aren't enough opportunities for people in power wheelchairs to engage together in play.

We are still playing as-is, without any protective devices, in a careful exchange that often involves contact on either side of the fitness ball, which cushions nicely and pushes chairs apart. However gently we play, there is still jostling between players seeking control of the ball. Broken reflectors and a broken fender in our first two games of play cause us to feel it prudent to invest in power soccer guards.

Though to the outside viewer, play may appear slow, much is happening between players who close in on the ball and have to work their way out of a scrum. Someone has to give or push, or use humorous persuasion perhaps, to free the ball back into play. Breakaways happen occasionally and goals are mostly left untended. Although the game has no formal rules yet, a few ideas are emerging for improvement.

You can read about the first round of Power Chairs on Ice here. Eventually this game may break out of doors. In the meantime we will continue on a monthly basis in Revere. To get involved, contact Tom McCarthy, Director of DCR's Universal Access Program, at 413-545-5758 or thomas.j.mccarthy@state.ma.us, or myself at 413-545-5758 or marcy.marchello@state.ma.us

Please share your experiences and ideas with regard to this new game here in the comments box by clicking on the underlined amount of "comments" below.

Power Chairs on Ice - A new game emerges

Power chairs on ice made a second developmental debut in Revere today at the Cronin Rink. A small group of power chair users gathered to test their wheels on the ice and play a game of....power ball? Could it be that this was the first time such a game took place on ice using a fitness ball? Who knows?



By way of warmup, we practiced some maneuvers with a seven cone slalom down the center of the rink, then some 2 lap races around the line of cones. Socializing, spinning and gliding intermingled with these more serious endeavors. I warmed up my fingers trying to make the stopwatch work, but competitive timed events fell by the wayside once we noticed that six people in powerchairs could create two teams of three.



While public skating went on at the rink's circumference, the interior was defined with long bolsters and two nets. After some consideration, it was determined that a coin toss was the best way to start the game. Once started, the game took on a life of its own and everyone soon forgot about time.




For Nick, only 5 1/2 months into life in a power chair, this was the best day he'd experienced since his injury. Barry and John, both using sip-and-puff technology to propel their chairs, were able to enjoy the game at the same pace as those using toggle switches, though they didn't always have as much control. Tom, ever a fan of sliding on the ice in his power chair, found the game interaction especially fun. It was Richard's first time on ice, and with a mid-wheel drive chair with a lot of pep, he had great control of the ball and was the first one to score a goal. John, the rink manager, relished the chance to use an extra power chair brought by Tom.



As I skated around taking photos, I observed the game to be like a slow motion form of power soccer. People were naturally sensitive about their chairs, especially without any protection, such as the guards around the front of the chair that are used in power soccer.


The fitness ball met the needs of the players well. When they lightly collided with it between them, it absorbed the impact and gently pushed them apart. The ball took some abuse and held up without incident. Occasionally a group of four would sandwich the ball, making for interesting interaction to see who would move so the ball would come free. The ball moved smoothly on the ice but didn't travel far when pushed, so it was easy to keep up with and carry forward. The ice added that random tricky element, as people sometimes got caught with spinning wheels in a slick spot. Otherwise, thanks to John's careful zamboni work before we played, traction was mostly good with the different chair models, especially in the slower speeds.


Power chairs on ice will take place again on Tuesday, February 23 at the Cronin Rink at 850 Revere Beach Parkway. For further information, contact Tom at thomas.j.mccarthy@state.ma.us or 413-545-5353.