Finding equality in hockey
At 8:00 a.m. on a crisp Saturday morning in November, you can hear the skates cutting and scraping the ice at a hockey rink in North York. Hockey sticks slap against the boards as athletes fight for the puck, their breath creating a haze that saturates the air.
At first impression, you wouldn’t notice that these athletes have disabilities such as Autism, Aspergers, and Downs Syndrome.
It’s the first day of practice for the Gladiators at the Hockey Association for the Developmentally Challenged. Girls and boys, men and women of all ages are energetically skating through the exercises their coaches have created for them.
Maria Salvati is one of the chief organizers of HADC, as the athletes zoom around the rink she says “we’re all friends and family here. We were originally with Grandravine Hockey, but then we got so big we decided to become our own organization. We have grown tremendously over 16 years.”
Here they’re not kids with disabilities, they’re athletes!- Jay Whaley
According to Salvati, HADC was created to provide an opportunity for disabled children and adults to enjoy the mental and physical beneficiaries of sports and feel accepted.
“Watching them grow is amazing,” Salvati said happily. We had one boy who used to just lay on the floor in October. But by December he was on the walker, and by March he was doing steps on his own!”
Chumming around with the players, coaches, and other parents is Jay Whaley. Whaley never stops as his son Adam participates in the HADC hockey program, as well as the three other Ontario Special Olympic Programs that Whaley runs.
“I’ve seen the socializing and communication skills improve in him,” Whaley said in his natural booming voice. “He’s just a warm kid. It’s something he looks forward to every week. It’s not to just escape the house. Everyone thinks these kids are fragile but they’re not, we’ve kicked other teams’ butts!”
As Whaley walks around and greets players as they skate by, he explains that these kids/adults really understand and enjoy the repetitiveness of hockey practices like the pros.
It’s like night and day. His confidence is huge. He’s not the same kid. These kids love the game because there’s no pressure on them. -John Travers
“Here they’re not kids with disabilities, they’re athletes!” Whaley exclaimed. “You and I wake up every morning and take on work, and these guys wake up every morning and take on the world. Everyone should feel accepted.”
John and Anna Travers are also parents with a child in the HADC program. This is their son Bryan’s second year playing and they have seen a dramatic change in him.
“It’s like night and day,” John exclaimed. “His confidence is huge. He’s not the same kid. These kids love the game because there’s no pressure on them. Bryan has been in hockey schools before and the program and kids and parents were brutal. You don’t get that here because you’re allowed to make mistakes and no one judges you.”
Anna explains that their 15-year-old son has Aspergers, so he looks normal to everyone. But it’s when he socializes that you notice the difference.
“But when he’s playing he feels comfortable and everyone accepts him,” Anna said. There was a lot of pressure on him going into high school, but playing hockey as helped him with socializing at school.”
Shortly after Bryan glides over to the door near his father.
“It’s been great here,” Bryan breathed. “The competition in an actual league was way too competitive. It’s laid back here. I feel accepted that’s the main thing. It’s given me a huge confidence boost, and I feel more accepted at school now.”
As Bryan jumps back onto the ice, coach John Gianmarco is instructing his players on how to pass pucks.
“I started with the team as a volunteer when I was about 16, and I’m 30 now,” Gianmarco laughed.” The kids and the parents are fantastic. The players get better with every practice.”
Gianmarco praises the efforts and perseverance of the athletes and that it’s wonderful to watch.
“I can honestly say this team has given me more than I could ever imagine,” Gianmarco said. “It’s helped me through my life, anytime you’re feeling down, think of what these guys struggle with on a daily basis and then you feel like things aren’t so bad.”
He then breaks down some of the exercises the players go through during practice.
“First thing we work on is discipline, it’s very important because some of the athletes have behavioural issues,” Gianmarco explains. “In terms of skill development, we do stick handling, skating exercises, and other exercises regular leagues take for granted. They’ve all improved. We have this one young man in particular who is good enough to play competitively.”
Tony Mazzei is also a coach, he’s been at HADC for eight years.
“I started volunteering because my son was playing here,” Mazzei said. “It’s unbelievable what these kids can do. They all have the willingness to want to play and have fun with other athletes.
Mazzei explains that he coaches a lower level set of players. Some of the exercises have the players skate around pylons with and without the puck. There are also helpers to guide the players through the right path so they are familiar where they have to go, when to skate, how to get the puck, and passing to each other.
“The basic skills are to get them comfortable for the skills during a game,” Mazzei said. “At the end of every practice we try to imitate a hockey scrimmage to get them ready for an actual game.”
As Mazzei skated back to his players, a stray player comes over and asks what I’m doing.
“I’m writing a story,” I said.
The young man introduces himself as Jonathan, and then proceeds to ask why.
“I think writing about hockey and the players is a great story,” I responded.
Without missing a beat Jonathan then moves to say, “Oh, okay. Yea hockey is fun!”, and then skates back to his coach.
