The Empowering Sport of Power Soccer

Power soccer, also known as powerchair football, is an adapted team sport designed for motorized wheelchair users. It is co-ed and open to participants ages 5 and up. It originated in France in the 1970s, and today it is played competitively and recreationally in about 30 countries around the world. The sport has an international governing body, Federation Internationale de Powerchair Football (FIPFA), which sponsored a World Cup in Tokyo, Japan in 2007, Paris, France in 2011, and the third took place in Kissimmee, Florida, USA, July 5-9, 2017 (http://fipfaworldcup.org/).

What Are the Benefits of Playing Power Soccer?

Interviews with power soccer athletes demonstrate that they perceive many positive benefits from their participation in the sport. I reported on this at a national conference in 2008 and again in 2014. Here is a brief overview of the positive effects power soccer athletes experience.

Physical Benefits

People who play power soccer report similar effects related to physical exercise and athletic competition. Although they are in self-propelled chairs, they still exert physical energy. They maximize whatever mobility capabilities they have in order to position themselves and operate their chairs during play. They may sweat and feel an increased heart rate, adrenaline rushes, and customary soreness and exhaustion associated with physical exercise. 

Photo credit: Kim Salewski Almeida

Emotional Benefits

People who play power soccer feel better about themselves. They become happier as a result of finding a sport they can play. They have reduced boredom and depression by having a fun activity to do. They experience a refreshing sense of belonging by developing friends in the sport. They gain a sense of ‘normalcy’ by participating in the shared cultural value of sport. They enjoy opportunities to be affirmed as members of a team working on common goals.

Photo credit: Chris Mulholland

Psychological Benefits

People who play power soccer begin to think about themselves and their futures differently. They begin to view themselves as athletes. They gain self-efficacy by learning how to play the sport and being able to do so with a large amount of independence. As they do things that in many cases they never believed they would (such as play in a sport, travel to tournaments, score their first goal, win their first game, etc.), they gain self-confidence and start to see more possibilities in life and set new personal goals for themselves.

Photo credit: Kim Salewski Almeida

Social Benefits

People who play power soccer overwhelmingly report greatly expanding their social networks through the sport. Although they may have previously been shy introverts, they make friends with teammates and athletes on other teams that they would have otherwise never met. For many it marks the first time that they interact with people “in the same boat” as they are. Not only this, but they also experience enhanced relationships with their non-disabled peers by having something in common through sport to discuss. Their participation in sport breaks stereotypes, creates curiosity, and sparks conversations and connections with people at school, work, and elsewhere. In addition, they establish networks of care, support, and mentorship that link them to beneficial information and resources and promote social capital and public advocacy.

Photo credit: United States Power Soccer Association

How to Get Involved?

Knowing that this sport exists and offers the potential for many positive, life-changing benefits, why would you not want to get involved?  Here is how you can do it:

1. Share this blog post through your social media channels.
2. See if a team exists in your area that you can join as a team member or volunteer. Click here for a page  with information and links to international power soccer associations where you can search for teams in your area.
3. Host a power soccer clinic to start a team in your area. Several organizations work to spread the sport and will come with people and resources to demonstrate the sport and help establish a team. Contact USPSA or FIPFA for more information.
4. Make a financial donation. Power soccer is a developing sport without huge corporate sponsorships. Tournaments and events come with significant financial burdens and teams need patrons to help them defray costs for equipment and travel. Teams and athletes often have Gofundme campaigns and have other fundraising efforts throughout the year. You can get information at USPSA's or FIPFA's websites or do a simple Internet search to find a team or a player or a power soccer event to sponsor and make a difference with your dollars.
5. Do you already play power soccer? Then please support research efforts to help promote the sport. My new study invites athletes to upload and describe up to 3 power soccer photos. The goal is to produce a book full of images and stories of empowerment through the sport with all profits from books sales supporting power soccer organizations. To participate click HERE. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Danish, Japanese, and German.
   

Discover More

Thank you for reading my blog. Want to read more about the sport of power soccer and how it benefits those involved? Check out my book on the sport. In it, you will meet 34 power soccer athletes and learn what they have to say about what power soccer means to them. The book is available in hardcover, paperback and eBook. Click on the book image below to visit the product page on Amazon. You can purchase an author-signed copy at PowerSoccerShop.com.

Michael Jeffress (@CommprofessorMJ; facebook.com/authormichaeljeffress) has been involved in power soccer as an athlete’s parent, as a coach, and as a researcher since 2006. He is the author of Communication, Sport and Disability: The Case of Power Soccer, which tells the stories of 34 power soccer athletes and what power soccer means to them.