Hockey Players with Disabilities Show ‘They’re Not So Fragile’

A U-M faculty member helped start a hockey team for individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, supporting their athletic capacity and camaraderie on the ice.

7:00 AM

Author | Beata Mostafavi

 

All too often, Jacqueline Kaufman, Ph.D., sees children who are left out of vigorous childhood activities.

MORE FROM MICHIGAN: Subscribe up for our weekly newsletter

The neuropsychologist works with children who experience weak muscles, tremors and stiffness from cerebral palsy or neurological issues from a stroke. Some of her patients have severe developmental delays. Others struggle with focus and behavior due to autism or ADHD.

Which is why parents are sometimes surprised when Kaufman asks their child: "Have you ever thought about playing hockey? I think you'd be great at it."

"Children with disabilities are often treated like they are fragile," says Kaufman, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "Hockey is a full-contact sport. It's competitive. It's aggressive. And you can definitely get knocked down — hard."

Six years ago, Kaufman set out to help fill a gap for children who were steered toward "safer activities but who clearly wanted more." Thanks to a large startup grant from U-M Dance Marathon, a hockey team known as the Rockets was born.

Co-founded and coached by Kaufman and longtime Detroit-area hockey coach Kim Gearns, the group of roughly 30 players range from age 5 to 40 with a diverse range of cognitive, developmental and behavioral disabilities. About half the team includes U-M patients; other participants travel from as far as an hour away. The large coaching staff is completely comprised of volunteers.

It's good for parents to have the opportunity to step away and see their child in this environment and to see they're not so fragile.
Jacqueline Kaufman, Ph.D.

A winning attitude

Every Sunday at the Veterans Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, the Rockets meet for practice to prepare for competitive games with similar teams in the state as well as out-of-state tournaments.

Families and coaches say the opportunity to play on this level brings physical, emotional and social benefits.

SEE ALSO: Preparing for Puberty in Girls with Disabilities

Still, Coach Jack and Coach Kim are not known to cut anyone slack when it comes to putting in the necessary effort to play well.

"They have been treated special their whole life. Here, expectations are high. We expect them to work hard, regardless of their condition," Kaufman says. "We don't pamper them. We tell them that they are here to compete. That if they don't play their best, they won't win. You have to work hard. No excuses."

For Rockets player Lila Rankin and her family, the philosophy is a welcome change.

Lila has a mild cognitive delay, ADHD, and a condition called ataxia, which causes a lack of muscle coordination that affects her balance.

"We didn't know if she was going to walk or talk when she was born, and here she is skating," says her mom, Genisse, of Monroe, Michigan. "My jaw just drops when I see what she has accomplished.

"This experience has given her so much confidence. Every child should have the chance to be a part of a team where they can make new friends and be a part of something. Their coaches have showed them that when they push their boundaries they are capable of more than what society might expect of them. Just for them to see they can pass the puck or score in a game is huge."

Shared goals

Kaufman, who picked up recreational hockey as an adult, reassures hesitant families that even if it takes four years to help their child stand upright on the ice, that's fine by her.

"We tell them that no matter their ability, anyone can play here," she says. "Competitive sports is a place where you can learn how to have successes and failures. This team supports successes, partial successes and even failures."

"Some do start out frustrated with a few tears, but by the end of the season they are out charging for the puck, out for blood."

Kaufman says the experience not only benefits the kids but also their parents and coaches. Dozens of high school volunteers from area hockey teams also help with practice to make sure players who need it get one-on-one attention.   

"For some of our athletes, this is one of the few opportunities to demonstrate a competitive spirit in a physical sport. They haven't ever engaged in a sport that's on the edge of being safe and that can lead to getting hurt and getting smashed into," Kaufman says. "Even on the bench, the kids support each other in a way they don't typically have the chance to do every day because parents are often intervening for them.

"It's good for parents to have the opportunity to step away and see their child in this environment and to see they're not so fragile," Kaufman adds. "Everyone seems to get something out of it. Coach Kim and I feel blessed to be a part of it. We are just a great family.

"It's a gift every week."


More Articles About: Children's Health Exercise Child Fitness and Youth Training Wellness and Prevention
Health Lab word mark overlaying blue cells
Health Lab

Explore a variety of healthcare news & stories by visiting the Health Lab home page for more articles.

Media Contact Public Relations

Department of Communication at Michigan Medicine

[email protected]

734-764-2220

Stay Informed

Want top health & research news weekly? Sign up for Health Lab’s newsletters today!

Subscribe
Featured News & Stories Illustration of teenager lying in bed while images above depict an F grade on paper and classroom
Health Lab
2 in 3 parents say their adolescent or teen worries about how sick days may impact grades
National poll: 1 in 5 parents consider if their child needs a mental health day; 1 in 4 say attendance policies are challenging for kids with medical conditions
Speculum illustration including a gloved hand holding a swab in front of microscopic cells
Health Lab
U.S. could cut cervical cancer cases, deaths by up to 20% if more patients followed up after screening, study suggests
Many women don’t get cervical cancer screening such as Pap tests, or don’t go for follow up diagnostic tests; a new study shows what could happen if all of them did.
gun with lock on it with key there gun is in black and background yellow and lock is white
Health Lab
Michigan’s new firearm injury prevention laws: What everyone should know
Michigan has a set of new laws related to firearms, all designed to reduce the risk of injury and death across the state.
illustration of large pile of cash bills casting a shadow on parents next to a child in a hospital bed
Health Lab
Caregivers more likely to face financial burden following pediatric critical illness
Nearly a third of caregivers with a child in a pediatric intensive care unit experienced signs of underlying financial burden, Michigan research shows
Person's hand holding an aspirin tablet with a glass of water nearby
Health Lab
An aspirin a day? Some older adults who take it may be following outdated advice
Many people aged 50 to 80 who said they take aspirin multiple times a week may not need to do so and could be causing health risks, according to National Poll on Healthy Aging.
Pink, blue, purple illustration of COVID-19 virus
Health Lab
Four years later, what do we know about COVID-19?
Today, thanks to researchers, medical and public health experts, pharmaceutical companies, engineers and others, we know more and can do more about the coronavirus called SARS-CoV2, and the disease called COVID-19, than ever before.