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July 19, 2023
Triangle Special Hockey Association
Photo from Triangle Special Hockey Association
As some of you may know, I have been a volunteer youth ice hockey coach for the last 6 years. Last year, I even took the program lead to restart and redevelop the student coach program that laid dormant for several years during COVID. We currently have about 35 student coaches who volunteer (mostly at 6 or 7am every Saturday morning) to help run local practices in the Polar House Hockey League. Over the last month, I was asked to try to gather up as many student coaches as possible to help out with the Triangle Special Hockey Association (TSHA) annual “Try Hockey” event. I really had no clue what to expect but I was in for an incredible experience and something I and the student coaches will never forget.
With our larger group helping out the TSHA, they opened the registration up to one of their annual “Try Hockey” events. This was a general call to anyone in the local special needs community to come out, skate, and play hockey. The entire goal of the Try Hockey program is to get them out on the ice, even if it’s just for a few moments. This event was scheduled for Tuesday, July 11th.
Photo from Triangle Special Hockey Association
After having a light stomach bug and being under the weather for most of the weekend, I was nearly out of energy after work and I rushed to my in-laws to take a power nap last Tuesday. There was so much running through my mind about the event, I didn’t sleep and barely closed my eyes for an hour. All of these thoughts running through my head about “me” being prepared and worried simply faded away the second I stepped inside the rink – It wasn’t about me anymore. It was something so much bigger and you could just feel the excitement in the air.
Many of the participants only had a pair of winter gloves, some had a bike helmet and a pair of rented skates. Most of them had never been on skates before. But their lack of equipment and experience didn’t slow them down! There’s just something so resilient and powerful about seeing beginners attempt something for the first time. Trying something completely new without fear. Some of the participants have sensory issues – even things we take for granted, like wearing a helmet can be difficult for them. They simply adapted and took these challenges head on. As soon as the Zamboni finished and the rink door opened, some of participants sprinted to the door to get out there and try skating immediately. The organizer had to hold them back so they could make sure the volunteers and mentors were on the ice and ready. Each participant would be paired with a mentor for the entire event.
The thrill and sense of adventure on their faces was so incredible. I was initially paired with a young boy named Nick. Nick was so in awe of everyone else on the ice around him. He just wanted to soak up every second of the moment and wanted to do everything everyone else was doing all at once. How do I stop? I can stop with one foot this way! Now can I turn my hips around to stop this way. Can I go backwards? How fast do you think I could go? How do I go that fast? He was always pushing his limits and would attempt something new every time someone skated by him. His feet and mind were going a mile a minute and in some instances, his feet in 2 different directions. But somehow he would always catch himself and stabilize before moving on to the next goal or challenge that skated by. He just wanted to feel, learn, and do everything there was to experience on the ice in that hour.
After a few minutes with Nick, I switched over to Troy, Troy was about 12 years old and non-verbal. Two volunteers were with Troy, carrying him around the ice because he was struggling keep his feet underneath his body. But even with the balance issues, his smile could be seen from across the rink. I replaced one of the volunteers, but the other soon needed a break and Troy didn’t want to take a break at all so it quickly became Troy and I. Troy was simply having too much fun for a break. After about 20 minutes, I realized that Troy didn’t need me to provide all the support to keep him completely upright. I was actually probably restricting him and holding him back because of my fear of him falling and getting hurt. I was more scared for him than he was for himself; he wasn’t in the slightest bit scared. I got a skate trainer (think of a cart that you can use to improve balance and coordination on the ice – you can hold on to it to hold you up) and I slowly took my hands away from his arms and slowly moved a foot away and let Troy go. After a few falls (and catching him as he fell), I began to feel more comfortable over the next 15 minutes to let him softly fall and to my amazement he would pop back up quicker than the times I picked him up. He didn’t need to be caught anymore, he didn’t even need me to assist picking him up. Looking back on the event, it’s surreal to think how much Troy and I communicated over that hour simply through actions and most importantly through smiles. By the end I was there to help give praise and lend a supporting hand and take it all in… the same way Nick did from the very start.
There is something so real and uplifting when it comes to volunteering with children and adults living with disabilities or special needs. It had been 10 years since I last volunteered with the Miracle League (baseball) in graduate school and I still have such vivid memories of those times. It is just so amazing to get back out and try new things after a couple years of the pandemic. New things and change can be difficult or even immobilizing, but for this hour it wasn’t for these special needs kids and adults. Something like volunteering and seeing these individuals take to something new and difficult with a smile on their face and no fear of failure was so exhilarating. All of the participants and especially Nick and Troy showed me how we should celebrate every accomplishment, no matter how small of feat. Everyone needs those small wins in life and sometimes we need to look to others and be thankful for the chances we get in life and how we can challenge ourselves daily.
Ryan
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