For the first time was the EWH seen in Czech Republic (CZ) in May 2002 in the Business Academy Janské Lázně. It was thanks to Petr Alina, who worked as an educator there and was interested in the sport for disabled people through his career. He dedicated to floorball too. Together with the student Vojtěch Kapčuk, who used an electric wheelchair, they participated in international meeting under the supervision of DCIEWH in Spanbroak, Netherlands in April 2002. Just from there they brought along not only an enthusiasm for this new sport but even the basic information about it, some videos and primarily contacts. But things went slowly as usual and it took a long time before this sport began to widen. Although the first little moment appeared immediately in July 2002, when some student of Business Academy JL met with Michal Prager, who was one of the founders of the first Prague club, but it took another year before the Prague club was already founded. In those days of the beginning of EWH was the main question and problem to provide the suitable equipment in our conditions. The question of the appropriate wheelchairs was the most difficult, then the problem of the production of special sticks (T-Stick) for the players, who weren’t able to hold a normal stick, than the production of the non-standard goals and the question of the more suitable boards for the future. But it was the success when the Methodology of EWH, which was written by some experienced player for Netherlands, was translated. And as the time went the problem of basic equipments like sticks, T-sticks and goals was solved.
How was it mentioned before, the second Czech team was established in autumn 2003 in Prague, and so the doors for the first match in Czech Republic was opened. The whole year 2004 was full of the mutual matches of the only two Czech teams. The first match in Czech history took place in April 2004 in Dvůr Králové, the second in October in Prague and the third, the last in those days, was in Pardubice. Immediately after the match in Pardubice an improvised training camp of the National team was organized there, so the preparations for the European Championship in Italy 2005 were started. The participation in European Championship 2005 was really big motivation for feverish preparations. The vision of going abroad and playing with experienced teams and right in the Championship, encouraged everyone. The training camps were rotated with the meetings, other planning, collecting needed money and equipments. Everything culminated with the departure to Rome. It was really great experience and nor the result, the sixth, last but one place, wasn’t disappointment.
Unfortunately, the participation and success in European Championship didn’t bring headlong development, as it could be expected, but the other way around the run-down came. After all the participation in European Championship was big action with big organizational and financial requirements, and it led to the exhaustion all of the energy, which was needed for the further continuation. Fortunately, the activities on club level were kept and there were several friendly matches the next year and both clubs went to international club tournaments. Prague club EWSC LITA SPORT Prague, today’s Jaguars Prague, went to the German Munchen and former Snow Wolves Janské Lázně, today’s Tigers, visited the tournament in Schwiss Zurich.
These events meant a new impulse for the development of EWH in Czech Republic, and therefore the meeting about the founding of the Czech Federation took place in November 2006. Everyone’s hopes were into Czech Federation. Everyone thought that it could help to the further progress of EWH. Because some people were interested in the establishment of the third Czech club in Zlín, the question about the Czech league competition appeared. The establishing meeting of ČFEWH (Czech Federation of EWH) took place in Janské Lázně in 28. 1. 2007. The first Championat of Czech Republic went on the same year in Prague. The Czech league competition started immediately in the following year. It was arranged that Czech league is played by tournament way and from February till November. All of the Czech teams participated in the league. The team Rejnoci from Zlín came in 2007, in the end of the year 2009 came the team Cavaliers Prague and the team Transformers Prague came in 2010, but ceased to exit immediately in the following year and was replaced by the team Indians Plzeň. In the year 2013 ended its existance the team Tigers Janské Lázně. In the year 2014 was founded the team Red Dragons Prague. There are five teams in the Czech Republic, currently (2015), but only four of them are participating in the Czech league competition. The team Rejnoci from Zlín doesn´t participate in this year. During this time the Czech national team participated in one another European Championship in Belgium 2008, where reached seventh, last but one place again. After this event was the National team dissolved. In the year 2013 the Czech Republic participated in the Four nations tournament with a bit improvised national team, that was nominated from the winner of the Czech league the previous year – and it was the team Jaguars.
Although neither the Federation not the National team were successful on the field of international cooperation, the clubs managed that well. The first international tournament in Czech Republic was organized by Snow Wolves Janské Lázně in September 2007. There was no less important event in November 2007 in Zlín – Development Event. This event is an initiative of ICEWH, which is trying to spread the EWH and show it in the new countries. Primarily the club EWSC Jaguars Prague keeps the contact with the foreign countries and participates in several international tournaments every year. Moreover the club Jaguars organizes its own tournament. Cavaliers Prague also has its own tournament. The Czech EWH is characterized by mainly club activities, nevertheless the Federation is trying to gain its own importance and take charge of its main role, which is above all an active National team.