At its core, Love of the Game 2 is simple: people coming together because they love to play.

Directed by Niek Theelen, this follow-up to the original documentary steps back into Alberta’s adaptive sports world, this time going bigger. We meet athletes in wheelchair rugby, basketball, sledge hockey, adaptive golf, taekwondo, and more. Some are competing at high levels. Others are just discovering the sport for the first time. But they’re all driven by the same thing: the feeling you get when you’re part of a team, chasing something that matters.

This isn’t just about overcoming obstacles. It’s about competition, friendship, long practices, and the pure rush of the game. Love of the Game 2 celebrates a community that keeps showing up, not because it’s easy, but because it’s worth it.

Q: What made you feel there was more story to tell after the first film?

From the beginning, I always felt like there was more juice left to squeeze. During lockdown, I couldn’t film group practices properly. I had to rely on interviews, found footage, and limited access spaces like the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

When I finally assembled everything, I realized I had built a 75-minute film. But there were entire sports, like wheelchair rugby, more sledge hockey, even deeper skiing coverage, that I couldn’t fully explore. Love of the Game 2 is my opportunity to go back and do it the way I envisioned.

Q: How personal is this project for you?

Very. When I first moved to Canada, my introduction to sports was grassroots hockey. I was 14 years old playing with men in their 30s and 40s because there wasn’t a junior team. Eventually, that program disappeared due to funding and ice-time limitations.

That loss stuck with me. Seeing adaptive sports programs face similar funding challenges feels painfully familiar. This isn’t just a documentary, it’s an attempt to prevent those stories from quietly fading away.

Q: Beyond storytelling, what kind of real-world impact are you hoping for?

Of course, monetization matters. But the bigger goal is leverage. If this film helps an organization secure a grant for new equipment or expanded programming, that’s meaningful change.

High-quality documentation gives these groups something tangible to show funding bodies. It says: This is what we do. This is the difference it makes. If film can help keep even one program alive, that’s worth it.

Q: You’ve referenced the documentary Murderball. How does it influence your next project?

Murderball really captured the intensity of wheelchair rugby, the blood, sweat, and rivalry. It wasn’t sentimental. It was raw and competitive.

That’s something I want to explore more deeply in the next chapter. Adaptive sports are inspiring, yes, but they’re also adrenaline-fueled and fierce. I think there’s space to combine those emotional layers into something that feels urgent and cinematic.

Q: Where do you see this concept going next?

Right now, I’m keeping it local because these are the communities I know. But the concept is scalable. Adaptive sports exist everywhere, and so do underfunded grassroots programs.

I also love ending things with a bit of humor. I’ve been doing stand-up comedy since 2014, and that instinct always finds its way into my films. Even when you’re dealing with heavy themes - mental health, personal loss, identity - I think audiences deserve to leave with a smile.

There’s still a lot more juice to squeeze from this idea. And this next chapter might just be the most ambitious one yet.

Learn more about Niek and Love of the Game https://www.niekscomedy.com/home