Giving Athletes & Coaches a Voice in Powerchair Hockey

The goal of the Athletes and Coaches Committee is to represent the voices of players and coaches worldwide. We aim to collaborate with the IPCH to keep improving the sport for all member nations.

The committee currently consists of seven individuals; Jayden Chaban, Maxime Decrock, Lucas Schell, Nelson Braillard, alessandro franzó, Dietmar Löwen, and Rico Romano.

Jayden is a member of the Canadian national team, attending the 2022 and 2026 World Championships. She has a passion for growing power sports across Canada and serves on two national parasport boards. Jayden currently serves as the head of the IPCH Athletes and Coaches Committee and represents the committee on the Sport Executive Committee. Jayden recently graduated from the University of Calgary, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

Maxime is a member of the Belgian national team, making his international debut at the 2022 World Championships and quickly becoming one of the team’s key players. He is the founder and organizer of APHC, creating powerchair hockey camps and tournaments to strengthen and grow the global PCH community. Maxime also serves as a member of the IPCH Development Committee. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management at Thomas More University, where he is also president of the student council.

Lucas Schell is a member of the Dutch national team, becoming European Champion in 2024 and finishing second at the World Championships in both 2022 and 2026. He is highly active in Dutch powerchair hockey and committed to growing the sport internationally, also serving as a member of the IPCH Development Committee. Lucas recently graduated from the Ede Christian University with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, completing a thesis focused on powerchair sports. Currently he is active as a freelance journalist working for several national radio shows.

Nelson is a member of the Swiss national team, making his international debut in 2010, making him the most experienced player on the IPCH Athletes & Coaches Committee. In 2026, he became World Champion for the first time in Switzerland’s history. Nelson has extensive playing experience across the Swiss, German, and Italian leagues. He graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology from the University of Northwestern Switzerland and currently works as a Product Manager at Allianz Direct.

Alessandro is a member of the Italian national team, making his international debut in 2020. He is active both as a player and as a coach, in 2025 he was elected as the Coaches’ Representative within the Italian powerchair sports federation, FIPPS. alessandro holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Sciences of Personality and Interpersonal Differences and a Master’s degree in Clinic‑Dynamic Psychology from the University of Padova, as well as a Master in Sports Psychology in Florence. He recently completed a PhD in Sociology and Methodology of Social Research at the University of Milan.

Dietmar is a member of the German national team, making his international debut in 2024. He brings long-standing experience as a club player and previously served as the head of the German Second League from 2019 to 2022, gaining extensive insight into competition organization and the needs of both clubs and players.

Rico has been an active club coach in Zurich for many years, leading his teams to multiple national championships. After the 2022 World Championships, he took over as head coach of the Swiss national team, and through his tactical leadership and organizational strength he guided Switzerland to its first-ever World Championship title in 2026. Although he has since stepped down from the national team, Rico remains active as a coach and brings the valuable perspective of an experienced international coach to the IPCH Athletes & Coaches Committee.

To make sure that representation is truly available to all athletes and coaches, you can share your ideas, concerns, or suggestions with the committee using the email address: athletesandcoaches@powerchairhockey.org