Wheelchair hockey started at the beginning of  the 1990s thanks to the young volonteers of the U.I.L.D.M (Italian Union against muscular distrofy). The first teams which were formed met in friendly tournaments to advertise the existance of this sport for disabled people as much as possible. Only in 1995 the W.H.L. (Wheelchair Hockey League) was founded and then the first Italian Championship began. Wheelchair hockey was created to allow disabled people (with neuro-muscular pathologies) to take part in physical activity. It is played using Electronic wheelchairs, and, thanks to other adaptations, even people with more serious physical conditions can take part in the match and play an important part of their team. Wheelchair Hockey has evolved a great deal since its origins in 1995. There are now 21 teams, from all over Italy, taking part in the national championship, and this number is increasing every year. The National Championship is now organized by the F.I.W.H. (Italian Wheelchair Hockey Federation), member of  the C.I.P. (Italian Paraolympic Committee). Italy is also taking on an important role at an international level and in 2004 The European Championship was organized in Rome, an event which gave a lot of pubblicity to this little known sport. The Sharks of Monza was founded in 1992 and they immediately took part in several tournaments in the north of Italy. This Team is historically one of the most important for wheelchair hockey, having taken part in all the championships so far. After reaching a fourth place and a third place, they went on to literally dominate and win in a fantastic final match the 1999-2000 season, winning against their long term rivals, The Milan Dream Team. In the following years, because a lot of new teams were being formed, The Sharks lost a lot of their key players, but were however able to keep going and finish the season. In 2005 the team left the U.I.L.D.M. of Monza and founded a club, after becoming A.S. Sharks Monza, the team became an Onlus ( a no profit organization). This “rebirth” of the team has given back to both players and management a desire to do well and obtain results, something which has been missing in Monza for too long now. With the help of the sponsors, the volunteers and the friends of the team, the Sharks would like to be able to find new boys or girls willing to play this beautiful sport called “Wheelchair Hockey”, to maybe one day see the italian flag shining on their shirts again.

WINNER OF THE PAST