There’s a common saying in the sport of hockey that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. New York Metro Blind Hockey and USA Hockey are working together to make sure no more athletes have to miss their shots.
Blind hockey dates back to Canada in the 70s, originating locally with little club interaction. The sport was taken to a new level in 2008, when Mark Demontis, who had lost vision due to illness, founded what is now called the Canadian Blind Hockey Association. Now, the organization has gone international with teams throughout the United States.
Foreseeable Future’s collaboration with the team based in the New York Metro area has continued to help make these shots happen.
The FFF has supported Metro Blind Hockey through individual grants, which go toward New York hockey team’s travel, as well as media promotion. A short video describing how blind hockey works was produced by the FFF, which resides on the NY Metro Blind Hockey website.
Several accommodations are made to the game, including a larger and noise-making puck and a taller net. This drastically improves the experience of the athletes and makes the game one that they can enjoy. Further, it allows for community to build among players. These athletes learn to rely on each other, appreciating the ability to back into the sport they love.
In 2020, FFF also helped sponsor a Metro Hockey trip to Maine for a game against the Maine Blind Bears. The players, all teenagers, played a two-hour game, followed by a fishing boat tour by Dirk Morgan, a former and original player for the Blind Bears. FFF helped fund the trip, which included teenagers from the New York area traveling to Maine for the first time.
“It’s the greatest sport, the best feeling is being on the ice,” said Dirk Morgan, a former Maine Blind Bears hockey player. Morgan treated the athletes who traveled to Maine this past year to a tour on his fishing boat, during which the NY Metro players gained boating experience on top of their play time.
“Blind hockey is a lot of fun for these athletes, but it isn’t something that can be done by one person financially. Foreseeable has been extraordinary with getting our players out there,” said Ted Caputo of NY Metro Blind Hockey. Caputo commented that, to date, NY Metro Blind Hockey has not required contributions from their participants.
While the current Pandemic has slowed down or halted much of the in-person practice that the hockey players get, support from Foreseeable has enabled the teams to stay connected.
“FFF has shared our stories on multiple platforms. We’ve met so many inspirational and supportive people in the community, and we can’t wait to connect with more.”
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