Two players from Powell River Ravens wheelchair basketball team have been playing with a team in the Lower Mainland at the invitation of former national team coach Joe Higgins.
Jenna Blakeney and Dorin Wingham have been playing with Langley Gold Rush against teams from across the province and from Washington, USA. This junior team has been put together by Higgins as a way for young, talented players to come together and play other teams and in tournaments as a way to gain experience.
Recently the two have been travelling to the Lower Mainland every second weekend to practice with the team, take part in workshops and play in tournaments. This junior team is for players aged eight to 18 and is open to players both with and without physical disabilities. This aspect of the sport is a big part of the draw for both Blakeney and Wingham, who like that it is a sport that a person with a disability can play and be on the same level as an able-bodied person.
Blakeney became involved with the sport about three years ago because her father, Paul, uses a wheelchair and it was a chance for them to play a sport together. She said her favourite aspect of the sport is not being able to tell who uses a wheelchair in their regular life while on the court.
Wingham, who has also been playing for about three years, said he enjoys playing in a higher level league and having the opportunity to develop as a player.
“I like playing against people who challenge me,” said Wingham, “people who are much better than me, so I get to be better.”
Higgins became aware of Blakeney and Wingham after coming to Powell River as a guest coach and noticing the players’ talent. He invited them down to the Lower Mainland for some training camps and then invited them to join the team in Langley. They started with the team in November.
Both players say they are going to continue on with the sport. They have more tournaments coming up with the Langley team and the opportunity to play for higher level teams could be the next step. They would also like the opportunity to eventually play for the provincial team which plays in national championships.
Lindsay Peake, Ravens coach, is delighted the two players have gone so far with the sport. She said the honour is good for the Ravens too as Blakeney and Wingham can bring their new-found experience and share skills with Powell River players.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” said Peake. “I’d love to see them pursue this and take it as far as they can or as far as they’d like to.”
Powell River Ravens is a recreational team and has more players per capita than any other club in BC. They practice from 4 to 6 pm on Fridays at Oceanview Middle School gymnasium. The team is always looking for new players and practices are held on a drop-in basis with no cost. Powell River and District United Way and a number of local businesses and individuals sponsor the team, which has 14 adult-sized and 10 child-sized sport wheelchairs.
For more information about Powell River Ravens, interested readers can visit the team's website.
