The city of Brampton’s Recreation Division on Tuesday hosted free trials for sitting volleyball as part of the second annual Accessible Sports Week.
People gathered at the Gore Meadows Community Centre for the event designed to encourage physically challenged people to participate.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” said Shivam Suri, who took part.
“It’s a chance to kind of show how much you can do and not only how much fun you can have but also the amount of physical activity that you can do, even just sitting down,” he said.
Speaking from the perspective of someone with physical challenges, Suri said that that engaging in sitting volleyball presents an incredible opportunity.
“My message would be to not be scared. Go out there. You can do what you love, no matter what limitations may be on you. So, do what you love. It’s always possible,” Suri said.
The sitting volleyball event was one of the other games included in National Accessibility Week.
According to the federal government the week, which runs from May 28 – June 3, 2023 celebrates:
- the valuable contributions and leadership of persons with disabilities in Canada
- the work of allies, organizations and communities that are removing barriers
- ongoing efforts to become a more accessible and inclusive Canada
This year’s theme the week is “Disability Inclusion: From Possibilities to Practice”.
Ryan Resendes also took part in the Brampton event and said that he enjoyed playing volleyball.
Ryan Resendes, a participant at the sitting volleyball trials, spoke to Humber News about the sport and shared his views regarding the skill used for this sport. Photo credit: Muhammad Hamza
“It was a great time, had lots of fun,” he said.
Resendes said that it was interesting to see that not all athletes have two legs to walk on and that there are other ways to participate in sports and play them besides being physically able.
He emphasized the positive impact of sitting volleyball on individuals with physical disabilities and recommended the sport as a transformative experience.
“For individuals with physical disabilities, I’d recommend trying out sitting volleyball and opening their perceptions in terms of what sport can be,” he said.
“Regardless of their ability to walk or not, everyone’s going to be involved in this sport,” Resendes said.
“This sport is a great opportunity. Any sport in general is a great opportunity. Exercise provides a great opportunity to kind of build mental clarity and just feel good exercising within the sport,” he said.
Resendes emphasized positioning as a critical skill in sitting volleyball.
“In volleyball, you’re able to run around and kind of get to the position quickly,” he said.
“For this type of volleyball-adapted version, you kind of need to know how to manoeuvre and put yourself in the right place before it’s too late because there’s a lot of floor to cover in this one.”