U14 AA Warriors have hosted Charity Hockey Games between the Hamilton Sledgehammers and the U14 AA Warriors and they have been a HUGE SUCCESS.
SCMHA is so Proud of this Team!
The Stoney Creek Warriors U14 AA team had several expectations and goals set out for them by the coaching staff at the start of the season. Not only did the coaches want them to grow as athletes and teammates etc, but also wanted them to grow as people and community members. The team accomplished this by participating in a program raising awareness for mental health with Brady Leavold @PuckSupport earlier in the season.
Most recently the team lent a helping hand to their own teammates little sister. Her name is Haven, she’s 5 turning 6 and she loves hockey. Haven was born with Spina Bifida and is not able to play hockey like her brothers. Haven’s parents turned to sledge hockey to allow Haven to fulfill her dream of playing hockey, unfortunately for her the age requirement would not allow her to play until she was ten. The team decided that they should help in some way, so they organized a series of Charity Games between Hamilton SledgeHammers and the team to help raise awareness for the sport, Spina Bifida and to allow Haven the chance to just get out and try sledge hockey.
They have run two games so far and everyone involved able bodied or not had a great time, especially Haven. After the last game their contact at sledgehammers hockey association Al Heirliegh informed them that at their annual meeting with Sledge Hockey Ontario he was able to convince the board to lower the age limit so kids as young as 5 can join sledge hockey. Al used video and testimony from participants at the U14 teams charity games as proof that younger kids can be out on the ice playing sledge hockey. I’m not sure if the team actually realizes how many people they may have helped or the ways they have helped them. Because of their efforts the age for entering sledge hockey has been lowered in Ontario and Al mentioned that 4 new kids have signed up since the rule change as well as the team has committed to playing an annual sledge hockey game to help raise awareness for the sport.