Agroup of athletes made history during the recent Hockey Weekend Across America when they visited all of New Jersey’s 54 ice rinks in 54 hours to raise awareness of hockey players with disabilities.
This record-setting mission, EveryBODY Skates New Jersey (ESNJ), hopes to encourage rink owners and municipal and county governments to set aside a small amount of ice time per week during hockey season for disabled hockey play.
“What we are asking of rinks is simple: Allocate one hour of ice time per week to disabled hockey,” said ESNJ co-founder Jon Schwartz.
Special vehicles transported the athletes from rink to rink during the 54-hour journey, which commenced with an event at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store in New York City on Jan. 29 and concluded at the Prudential Center in Newark during the New Jersey Devils’ game on Jan. 31.
Additionally, the players were honored by the Devils when they attended the game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Along the way, disabled athletes from four disciplines — sled, standing amputee, deaf/hard of hearing and special hockey — met with local youth, college and adult hockey players, rink management and community leaders.
Both hockey coaches for disabled teams, the Schwartz brothers, Jon and Andrew, created ESNJ last summer.
“We wanted to get more involved with coaching the disabled, raising awareness, and changing the perceptions surrounding the sport,” Jon explained.
The team consists of 11 players between the ages of 14 and 26 who have a range of disabilities, including neurological disorders, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, as well as amputees, the deaf, and other cognitive and physical disabilities.
According to the organization’s website, approximately 1.4 million disabled people reside in New Jersey. The state also leads the nation with one in 94 children being diagnosed with autism.
“There is a higher incidence of obesity and depression among the disabled,” said Jon. “That leads to other health issues. Hockey is great occupational therapy for the physically and developmentally disabled.”
According to Jon, ice time at New Jersey rinks is currently at a premium because preference is given to established travel and high school programs that buy ice time in bulk.
Convincing rink owners to set aside ice time for disabled hockey is a struggle because rinks are businesses, he said.
“What most rink owners don’t know is that disabled hockey programs can pay their own way. These programs just need access to some ice and a little community support,” Jon explained.
According to Jon, for the most part, rink owners have been receptive to his initiative.
“The rink owners have been pretty good. It’s hard to get a hold of everyone,” said Jon. “I hope they come through.”
Jon has served as head coach of the West Orange-based N.J. DareDevils special hockey team since its 2002 inception. The DareDevils are 55 players with developmental disabilities, age 5 to adult.
He sits on the boards of Special Hockey International and the American Special Hockey Association, which is one of the nonprofit organizations the National Hockey League sanctions as part of its Hockey Is for Everyone initiative.
Jon is in his 14th year of coaching and has served as head coach at public and parochial high schools in New Jersey and Maryland as well as with competitive travel teams.
Additionally, he was named 2006 USA Hockey Atlantic District Coach of the Year and is a two-time recipient of the New Jersey General Assembly’s Salute to Champions award and the N.J. State Senate Leadership citation. Jon is also a level 4 USA Hockey coaching instructor who helped develop a coaching education curriculum for USA Hockey’s Disabled Section; runs annual camps and clinics for special hockey in New Jersey; and speaks to more than 500 coaches each year about the benefits of coaching disabled hockey. He resides in Park Ridge.
Andrew has spent the past eight years as head coach of the Westchester, N.Y.-based United Spinal Rangers Sled Hockey Team, which is a group of players with physical disabilitieswho compete all over the East Coast.