There were lots of smiles and just as many sore muscles at Rotary Place Thursday night among those taking part in the 4th annual Sunshine Sledge Hockey Tournament in support of the All Sports All People (ASAP) Foundation.
ASAP has a goal to make sure no one is turned away from participating in a sport they love because of a physical disability, and they have set out to achieve their goal by offering inclusive sports programs in Simcoe County.
In previous years, the Sledge Hockey Tournament was held to raise funds to support their Sledge Hockey camp held in Orillia. But this year, ASAP hopes to raise funds for their wheelchair basketball programs as well.
Tyhme Thompson is the driving force behind the tournament. She said this year was extra special for her; she said she was proud to see the growing interest and increasing support from the community.
“Each year it seems that new teams are coming out to support, and past teams continue to return,” Thompson said.
This year the City of Orillia, Orillia Terriers Junior C Hockey Club, Orillia Hawks girls' hockey club and Peak Performance Fitness joined other familiar community members such as the OPP in support of ASAP.
ASAP has made a difference for physically disabled community members like Thompson. She broke her back in 2008 and sustained a spinal cord injury which led to her requiring a wheelchair.
Thompson fell in love with sledge hockey and played multiple seasons with the Elmvale Bears.
Although playing in the annual Sunshine Tournament isn’t possible for Thompson, who is to busy organizing the event, she enjoys watching the participants and their post-game reactions.
“I always enjoy watching the participants come off the ice, because they never realize what the game extends to,” Thompson said.
“Everyone always forgets to stretch out their hip flexors, so as soon as they stand up again they can’t find their footing,” she explained with a chuckle.
Thompson said seeing everyone smile and have a blast during the tournament is what makes organizing the event worth it for her.
Terriers captain Josh Linzner agreed with Thompson and noted he and his teammates underestimated the difficulty of the game,
“It’s a lot more difficult than I thought,” Linzner said.
Linzner and his teammates wanted to participate to support ASAP and the added bonus of supporting the community made the opportunity that much sweeter, Linzner says.
“Hockey’s all about community, and this was a great opportunity to get involved and meet people from around the city.”
Thompson said the tournament will return again next year and they will welcome any new teams that would like to participate.
ASAP is also looking for a local business to come forward and help sponsor next year's event.
