Boston Self Help Center, Inc.

The Whiplash were the first team to ever exist in the United States, thanks to the support of the Boston Self Help Center who purchased the chairs from a company in Denmark where the sport first originated in the 1990s. The team remains as only one of two teams in the entire country, and consists of players ranging in age from 10 to 36 who have a diverse array of physical disabilities.

Since our beginnings in early 2022, the Whiplash have been working non-stop to not only hone our own skills, but to also grow awareness of the sport across the country. We have been interviewed by numerous news outlets, both regional and national, and have partnered with researchers from Northeastern University to investigate the health benefits associated with playing volt hockey.

And most excitingly of all, the Whiplash have competed in international competitions and lived to tell the tale! In May of 2023, we brought home silver at the inaugural North American Volt Hockey Tournament in Toronto, Canada. Then in September 2023, we made the trip across the pond to Sweden where we competed in the Volt Hockey World Cup alongside teams from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Canada.

With your generous support last year, we were able to send all of our players to Sweden at absolutely no cost to the players or their families, an amazing triumph in the name of adaptive sports!

We are kindly asking for your support again so that the Whiplash can make their redemptions at both the North American Volt Hockey Tournament over the Memorial Day weekend, and the Volt Hockey World Cup again this September. All funds raised will be used to cover the costs of hotel and travel expenses for both the players and their caregivers, as well as any tournament fees.

To follow along with our journey, visit the United States Volt Hockey Association’s (USVHA) and Boston Self Help Center’s (BSHC) websites, or check out their socials:

USVHA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/volthockeyusa/

USVHA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/volthockeyusa

USVHA TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@volthockeyusa

BSHC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bostonselfhelpcenter/

BSHC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Boston-Self-Help-Center-BSHC-102117675519610

Donations are 100% tax deductible and will be sent to the Boston Self Help Center , a non-profit run by and for people with disabilities in the Boston area, which supports the Boston Whiplash.

Join us in supporting the Boston Whiplash volt hockey team as we aspire to compete at the Volt Hockey World Cup in Gävle, Sweden this September! This tournament is the pinnacle of volt hockey, attracting teams from Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Germany. As the only active volt hockey team in the United States, this would give us the opportunity to represent our country at the World Cup.

Volt hockey is one of only a few adaptive sports designed for people with limited upper and lower body mobility, and is relatively unknown in the United States. Players maneuver electric, low to the ground chairs reaching up to 10 mph. Using paddles attached to the front of the chairs, players try to score by dribbling a ball down to the end of the court and shooting it into the opponent’s goal. Think of bumper cars, hockey, and go-carts combined in a single sport! It can be extremely fast-paced and makes for a nail-biting game to watch.

After only a year of playing together as a team, the Boston Whiplash has already shown enormous improvement in skill from our previous trip to the World Cup last year. The current team consists of players ranging in age from 12 to 36 with a variety of physical disabilities.

Building on our recent success of earning silver at the first North American Volt Hockey Tournament in Toronto, the Boston Whiplash is determined to go for gold at the World Cup. However, to make this dream a reality, we need your generous assistance!

Funds raised will go towards essential expenses such as transportation to get us from Boston to Sweden by plane and trains, as well as hotel accommodations. Traveling with approximately 10 players in power wheelchairs, along with their families and caregivers, makes this a significant journey involving challenges at nearly every stage of the trip.

Your contribution will make a tremendous impact, enabling our dedicated athletes to showcase their talent and represent the United States on the international stage. Help us turn our redemption mission into a remarkable triumph. Donate today and support the Boston Whiplash as we chase victory at the Volt Hockey World Cup in Sweden!

To stay connected with us online, be sure to check out our website or follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Donations are 100% tax deductible and will be sent to the Boston Self Help Center, a non-profit run by and for people with disabilities in the Boston area, which supports the Boston Whiplash and is also the parent organization of the United States Volt Hockey Association.