Testimonials
October 15, 2007
Dear Mike,
My son Dustin was able to sign up for this wonderful special needs team. He was born nearly 3 months premature and has a Chromosomal Trans-location. He has had 9 surgeries in 9 years – 3 of them have been heart surgeries. When he was 2 years old Dustin drowned and had to been given CPR and Life Flighted to save his life. His whole life has been an incredible amount of work just to survive. He is constantly on apnea machines to stay alive, taking oxygen and living with feeding tubes.
It is so fun to watch when something good in his life happens. Special needs kids need that. They struggle day to day with life and friendships. What a wonderful opportunity this is for special needs children to come together to build friendships with one another and to enjoy a wonderful sport.
I am a mother of four boys – Dustin is my youngest. My two older boys play on the Davis High School Hockey team, one as a player and one as a goalie. My third son will be starting to play on the Pee Wee hockey team this year. Our family has a huge love for the sport but didn’t think Dustin would ever be able to play on a Hockey team.
Especially as a mother that has watched him thou all of his struggles and wants to not let anything else happen to him, I appreciate this team since there will be no checking or hard play which would be normal for a regular team.
Each one of these kids is delighted that they were given this opportunity to shine on the ice. We as parents are very great full for your help. Thank you so very much.
Cozette
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October 15, 2007
Mike,
All my son ever wanted to do was to lead a normal life like everyone else. Tyler, who is now 11, was born with Occutaineous Albinism. In simple terms this means he has very low vision – he can see, just not very well. Tyler also has Autism and ADHD – well so much for being normal. Tyler has wanted to play hockey for as long as I can remember, although there has never been an opportunity for him to do so with his special needs. We were ecstatic when Mary Lederman presented the idea of a special needs hockey team in Utah. It has been a dream come true to see Tyler skate, not only for him, but for me as well.
As I looked around the ice rink and my heart was touched by these kids on the ice; some could hardly walk let alone skate, yet there they were with volunteers holding hands, (with some in walkers) holding skaters up with grins on everyone’s face. What a heart warming experience for all involved.
To enable these special kids to flourish and grow, we are so grateful for your efforts! With your help theses kids will be able to experience a little more “normal” life.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!
Love,
Tyler and Jodie
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October 18, 2007
Dear Mike,
I have a 10 year old son Alex who has Down syndrome. His writing is atrocious, he can’t add and is just starting to learn to read, he can dribble a basketball and throw and catch a baseball better than most average 10 year olds! When this opportunity came up for him to play hockey, I knew we had to give it a chance! Thanks to some very special people who helped supply us with equipment, funded this team, and are taking their precious time to coach, my son WILL have this chance!!
He hasn’t been on the ice yet, but he knows he’s the only child in our neighborhood who has a hockey helmet, jersey, stick and gloves. Guess who has slept in his practice jersey and with his hockey stick every night…. you guessed it! Alex!! He has always let everyone know how cool he is… now he has the opportunity to show it! Thanks for giving us this chance.
The Family
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October 19, 2007
Mike,
I am SO grateful for Jathan to have this opportunity to play hockey!!! He has played soccer and flag football through Provo Rec, but has struggled in each because of his processing disorder. He gets frustrated because he doesn’t understand what is being asked of him. The frustration usually turns to anger, and just explodes from there!
This is such a blessing to be able to have a place for him to experience a sport that he has wanted to try in an environment that is suited for kids like him. It is so wonderful to have people who are loving, caring and understanding of him and are there to help! The volunteers are GREAT!
I truly believe it has boosted his confidence and self esteem. Jathan loves hockey already, and we have only just begun! I can’t wait to see him blossom (as I am sure he will) with this wonderful experience which you have provided! Thanks a million!
Deann
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October 19, 2007
Hi Mike,
I just want to thank you for all you have done to make this team a possibility. It is the first time there has been this kind of opportunity for Jhessi to participate in a team sports activity, especially with this level of inclusion. We look forward to coming and she is excited about getting to play. Thanks again for putting something together for “everyone” to participate. It is so great when people see kids for who they are….period.
Sincerely,
Michelle
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October 16, 2007
Dear Mike,
Thank you so much for your hard work and for allowing our three boys, and others with special needs, the opportunity to participate in ice hockey. When we heard about the team being formed, we signed up immediately. Mitchell and Justin (our two older boys) have been ready to go since that day. This past week, prior to our first practice, Mitchell was so excited he could barely think of anything other than being able to get on the ice.
Mitchell and Justin have enjoyed rollerblading for a number of years, but have never had the opportunity ice skate. Kanu, our youngest, has never been on skates, so this will be his first chance.
As parents, we are also very pleased with the way that the program is arranged. The integrated nature will benefit both those with special needs and typical hockey players that will serve as individual mentors and teammates. Our boys need typical peers that can serve as role models, and this is a wonderful opportunity for such interaction.
Thank you,
Randy and Teri
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November 1, 2007
Mike,
More than anything else, our son with autism needs people. He needs patient, understanding people of different ages and backgrounds who are willing to challenge him and yet help him up when he falls, both physically and socially. The Regulators hockey program has given him just that; an opportunity to interact with understanding people in a very physically and socially challenging environment.
For that reason alone, this program is a huge success in my mind. But wait! There’s more:
- Our son loves activities which stimulate the vestibular (balance) system, like skating.
- He likes to play with big sticks!
- He’s a thrill-seeker, but the extremely high quality protective gear you’ve provided gives us a lot of peace of mind.
- He needs good physical exercise, especially during the winter.
- He’s very proud of his accomplishments on the ice, and it’s one of the few topics he likes talking about.
We have enrolled our son in many different activities and programs through schools, government, and church organizations in an attempt to promote an active and mentally healthy lifestyle for him. I believe this hockey program is the most holistically beneficial to our son of any we’ve participated in. Thank you SO MUCH for this great opportunity to play!
Jeff & Pam
Sandy, UT
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My son Douglas has cerebral palsy and is non-verbal. His athletic skills are almost non-existent because of his disabilities and his opportunities to participate in group sports are equally miniscule.
We were so excited when we heard there was a hockey program available for Douglas to participate in because he loves hockey so much. Beside the thrill of being able to actually participate in a sport that he has always loved to watch, he gets invaluable social experiences that he didn’t have before.
The greatest thing for us is to see the personal growth in Douglas that can only come from working hard and overcoming challenges to succeed in doing something he loves.
Darin
