As part of Hockey Weekend Across America, a group of hockey players with disabilities and their coaches recently embarked upon a three-day journey across New Jersey in an effort to convince area rink owners to allocate at least one hour of ice time per week specifically for disabled hockey programs.

“The reality of it is the disabled hockey programs aren’t like traditional programs,” said Jon Schwartz, who has been coaching a special hockey team in New Jersey for the past eight years. “They aren’t like travel hockey, high school hockey, (and) house league programs that are buying ice in bulk. We buy ice in increments of hours. Those other programs buy them in increments of dozens of hours.”

For that reason, “we don’t enjoy the kind of preference that those programs do because those programs are buying more ice,” Schwartz added. “All we want is a chance to do business with these rinks owners and have one hour per week allocated to our programs because the disabled community isn’t going to go knocking down the rink’s door (to play), but if you have ice and you have an open invitation, they will come.”

Last summer, Schwartz shared his concerns with his brother Andrew, who coaches the United Spinal Rangers Sled Hockey Team. Members of the team, which is based in New York but competes across the East Coast, have physical disabilities and propel themselves across the ice on sleds.

After discussing the issue, the Schwartz brothers decided something needed to be done to correct the problem. “We knew we had to do something big and something that attracted a lot of attention,” Schwartz said.

As a result, Schwartz, his brother, and a group of disabled athletes and fellow advocates, decided to pay a visit to staff at all 54 rinks within the State of New Jersey over the course of three days in order to ask them to allocate at least one hour of ice time per week during hockey season to disabled hockey programs.

“For us to do something, it wouldn’t really seem like it was impactful if we were to just go to a handful of rinks or the rinks in our (immediate) area,” Schwartz said, adding, “We just thought it would be a nice opportunity—a nice message to bring to people—that we were…a group of disabled athletes who were doing this incredible thing in such a short amount of time.”

The initiative, which has been dubbed EveryBODY Skates New Jersey (ESNJ), was officially organized by the American Special Hockey Association. According to Schwartz, those involved with ESNJ began their journey on Friday, January 29, by visiting a rink in Central Park in New York City. They then attended a special kickoff ceremony at the nearby NHL Powered by Reebok Store in honor of Hockey Weekend Across America. The initiative culminated at the Prudential Center in Newark, where the group was honored for their efforts at a New Jersey Devils hockey game.

According to Schwartz, the group of athletes that participated in the journey was representative of the four disciplines of disabled hockey. “There’s sled hockey—the hockey my brother coaches; there’s special hockey—that’s the hockey I coach for (people with) developmental disabilities. There’s deaf and hard of hearing hockey for the deaf and hearing impaired and then there’s standing amputee hockey for those folks who’ve lost a limb or an appendage.”

Schwartz said hockey has proven to be an effective form of physical and occupational therapy for those with physical and developmental disabilities as it improves physical fitness. He said hockey also enhances socialization and promotes accountability.

As someone with a disability, Schwartz knows firsthand how beneficial playing hockey can be. “I had a neurological disorder growing up that I’ve since managed and overcome and you probably couldn’t even tell (I have it) once you’ve met with me. But when I was eight years old, I was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. Hockey played a significant role in giving me self-confidence, self-esteem, making me accountable, (and) learning how to work with others,” he said.

It was this profound impact that also led Schwartz and his brother to become coaches of disabled hockey teams. “It’s just an opportunity for me and my brother to give back to the game that’s done so much for us,” he said.

Presently, there are between six and 10 disabled hockey teams in New Jersey, Schwartz said. “There are four special hockey teams and the balance are sled hockey teams.”

He is also hoping to see more teams established. “New Jersey leads the nation in (cases of) autism, and there are no shortage of families who are affected by the developmental disabilities in New Jersey, so we have a huge population—a vulnerable population—and one that is interested in this service we provide,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz also noted that while sled hockey or deaf and hard of hearing teams are often quite competitive, special hockey teams, like the one he oversees, are more about having fun. “Our practices are adaptive. Our games are adaptive. We make special arrangements for safe and healthy competition and practicing. So essentially, we’ll break up the practice by skill level or by comprehension level and, in many cases by size, so that it’s a safe environment. Plus, in special hockey, there’s no checking. The coaches work together to ensure the game is being played with balance and with sportsmanship because that’s really what it’s all about.”

Individuals interested in participating in disabled hockey or signing ESNJ’s petition asking rink owners to devote time to the sport are encouraged to visit: www.everybodyskates.com.

“Those rink (owners) who are interested in serving a population of 1.4 million people (with disabilities) in the state should consider making one hour of ice available to the constituents in their area,” Schwartz added.