I have always thought of myself as a hockey player, so when I came across a program that taught hockey to children with disabilities, I thought it would be a great opportunity to interact with a group of children who shared my same love of hockey.
I taught developmental skills and the basics of hockey to children with Autism and other social disabilities. As I taught these children how to play hockey, they taught me a great deal as well. I learned a lot about them and the challenges they face. I never realized how uncomfortable these children were socially or how difficult it was for them to interact with each other and their mentors. At first I felt awkward because I wasn’t sure how to connect with them, but after a few sessions I began to understand that they really weren’t that different from me.
As a mentor, I figured out different ways to interact with each of them, not by forcing them to learn new skills, but by having fun and engaging them. I learned through this process that my goal wasn’t to make them the greatest hockey players, but to show them how to play the game and have fun while doing it.
As I worked with the Cheetahs, I began to enjoy hockey in a way I hadn’t in a long time. After I started playing competitively, hockey felt more like a job than a hobby. Working with these children brought back the fun I felt when I was just a child and mentoring them gave me the opportunity to share this passion I felt. I looked forward to working with the Cheetahs every weekend, knowing that I not only had an impact on the players, but that they also had an impact on me.