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Published: Dec. 17, 2018, 4:02 a.m.

Show Summary:

(Full Transcript Below)

A new Hockey program has just started right here in the Hockey State. The program is the Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey Program. Open to individuals who happen to be Blind or Visually Impaired. 

Lonny Evans joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities studio to talk about the Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey program, how it came about and describe the adaptive sport to our listeners. Lonny talks about the spirit and the volunteers participating, and the overall joy the sport of Hockey is bringing to so many individuals. With Canada leading the way and more teams out East in the States, we are excited about the Minnesota Wild getting behind and supporting an inclusive program. A program that gives individuals with vision loss an opportunity to challenge themselves and to participate in the popular sport of hockey.

You can find out more about Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey on the web at www.MNSpecialHockey.organd read below about the Hendrickson Foundation and the mission statement they stand by.

From the MNSpecialHockeyweb site:

Blind hockey, which is the newest discipline of disabled hockey, is the same exhilarating, fast-paced sport of hockey with minimal rule adaptations to make the game accessible for players who are all legally blind. The most significant modification is that the sport features an adapted puck that makes noise, an is bigger and slower than a traditional puck.

“Minnesota Disabled Hockey is proud to offer our newest program, Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey, to our list of programs for people of all abilities in the State of Hockey,” said Minnesota Hockey Disabled Hockey Director Antonia Gillen.  “This program will create opportunities for people with visual impairments to play hockey and expands the network of hockey programs for people in Minnesota with varying disabilities. We are so grateful for the continued support of the Minnesota Wild and their assistance in reaching another group of individuals who would otherwise not have the chance to play the sport we all enjoy.”

From the About page of the Hendrickson Foundation:

How Did It All Start?

In 2011, Founder Larry Hendrickson was in contact with USA Hockey and they asked for help with growing disabled hockey in Minnesota…to help provide the opportunity to play hockey to those in wheelchairs, with a loss of limb, with intellectual disabilities, or who were injured serving our country. In short, Larry realized that Hockey Changes Lives for everyone who has the opportunity to play and everyone, including individuals with disabilities, deserve the opportunity to play. As Larry likes to tell it, “These people zero in not on what is different about them but what is the same. With time, they’ve forgotten they are different. After I met the people, how their lives were affected, it’s one of the greatest joys of my life.”

Naturally the Hendrickson Foundationwas formed shortly after in partnership with Minnesota Hockey and USA Hockey. The mission: grow the game of  hockey in Minnesota by being inclusive to individuals with mental and physical disabilities .

Contact:

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Full Transcript:

Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey Is Here! A Conversation with Lonny Evans

Jeff Thompson:
Over to Goldsworthy, he shoots, he scores. Ah yes, the great sounds of Minnesota hockey, and there's a brand new hockey program in town. It's the Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey Program. With me today is Lonny Evans. He's going to talk about the Blind Hockey Program, how you can get involved, and he's going to tell us a little bit more about this brand new initiative for the Minnesota Wild.

Jeff Thompson:
And, a big thank you for the Hendrickson Foundation for being a contributor of and supporter of Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey. The Hendrickson's mission is, grow the game of hockey in Minnesota by being inclusive to individuals with mental and physical disabilities.

Jeff Thompson:
Now, let's talk some hockey with Lonny Evans.

Jeff Thompson:
Welcome to Blind Abilities. I'm Jeff Thompson. I'm at State Services for the Blind, here in Minnesota in the Saint Paul area, and I'm with Lonny Evans. He's representing the Minnesota Wild with the Minnesota Wild's Blind Hockey. How you doing Lonny?

Lonny Evans:
Doing very well, thanks Jeff. How are you?

Jeff Thompson:
I'm doing good, thank you. This is exciting. When I first heard about this ... Well, I heard about Blind Hockey out east, and there's a few teams that are doing an interview with Liz Bottner, and she's a goalie out there. She said, "Well, maybe you should start getting it in Minnesota," and low and behold all of a sudden I saw on the news, all of a sudden there was an announcement of, "Minnesota Wild introducing Blind Hockey to Minnesota area."

Lonny Evans:
Yeah, it is real exciting. Recently, a couple of the coaches and myself went out to Pittsburgh, and we were able to interact with folks and observe a Blind Hockey Summit. As you referenced, there are several teams out of the East Coast area, and of course Canada's been doing it for a long time, but no real representation here in Minnesota. The idea that the state of hockey doesn't have Blind Hockey, there's some really good folks in that organization, Minnesota Hockey and elsewhere that decided, "You know what? We need to do something about it." So, we had our kickoff a couple weeks ago.

Jeff Thompson:
Oh wow. Was a good turnout?

Lonny Evans:
Yeah, we had probably just under 20 players come out, and then we also had great representation. We had Orono High School, had some of their boys and girls players come out. We had some volunteers as teachers, they had their students on the ice, and so it was really a neat mix of people coming together, and we had a wonderful first time on the ice together.

Jeff Thompson:
Such a great opportunity for everybody to learn. You got the people who are blind out there probably breaking through a barrier that they ... an expectation that they never thought they would have the opportunity to do, and other people learning that what possibilities people with a visual impairment can do.

Lonny Evans:
Yeah, I agree. I think the idea of attacking the barriers that either we put up ourselves and/or that others put on us is really important. So, the hockey is a great end-all, but I believe that in the end it will prove to be more than hockey, that it can be a real springboard for other things in life, social, just you know confidence. Enjoying the sport as a way to do all that thing is I think just a really neat combination.

Jeff Thompson:
Yeah, I agree. I think it's a great vehicle for breaking down those limited expectations that society puts upon people with a disability. This is just another way of sure enjoyment for ... I used to play, myself, so I was like ... I was thinking to myself, "Now hockey ..." Let's just switch this over to ... This is what went through my head, "How do you play? What are the rules? Are they the same? Is the puck the same? Is the sticks?" Can you explain it to us?

Lonny Evans:
Sure. Yeah, no those are great questions, and I think those are probably questions that most people have. There are very few modifications, on the higher end of play I would say. One of the modifications is that the net is at 3 feet versus 4 feet high. All of the players have up to 10% vision or less, so the players can have up to 10% vision and still qualify to skate with Blind Hockey. Some have zero vision and then somewhere in between there, and that's going to somewhat dictate plays. Well so, the forwards can have up to 10% vision whereas goalies have zero vision.

Lonny Evans:
Another modification is, that there needs to be at least one pass in the offensive zone. So, you couldn't skate from behind your net, bring it all the way up, and shoot on the goalie. Once you cross that blue line you have to make at least one pass.

Lonny Evans:
Another distinction is, the puck is quite a bit bigger. It's metal, and there are BBs inside that generate noise as it's moving and being hit and shot, and that type of thing. It doesn't make noise the entire path, so sometimes it's really difficult for players to pick up on that. I do believe, from what I hear, that they are continuing to work on a puck to make sure that the sound is being produced throughout the time it's being used. But in general, there aren't a lot of modifications.

Jeff Thompson:
I suppose that pass really helps the goalie, because if someone comes in, they might just be able to determine that someone's coming down the left side, but once you pass it, that sound of someone catching the pass gives the goalie a good chance of bearing down on the location.

Lonny Evans:
Yes, absolutely. If you were to stand behind a net and watch a goalie, you can see them absolutely reacting to that sound, but then there's that difficulty of when the sound isn't coming. You can imagine how difficult that is. So, the goalies have a really tough position, and it's amazing to see what goalies, with some experience can do, and it's really fun to see them make that save. Whether a goalie, defense, or forward, I have great admiration for the skaters.

Lonny Evans:
That's not because I came into it with low expectations or wanting to dumb it down, but I just know from my own experiences that if I were to have some kind of an issue with my hearing or sight, that that would really change it for me. So I guess, not starting at a point of low expectations, but my admiration for people has really taken off as I've been able to get out there and experience it with people.

Jeff Thompson:
Now, this isn't just for people who have played hockey before and who want a second chance at it or get out there. This is for people who are visually impaired that want to experience hockey, skating, and so they're coming in at all levels.

Lonny Evans:
Yeah, they really are coming in at different levels and experiences and different ages. So right now having one team, we run the gamut from younger elementary kids to folks that are probably in their 50s, and everybody in between. Some who've skated in the past, maybe before they lost their vision. Others, who a couple of weeks ago was their very first time on the ice.

Jeff Thompson:
Oh wow. That's where, like you mentioned, the students from the high schools and stuff coming out and volunteering and offering some help, that's where they get an opportunity to give assistance, and learn from them too.

Lonny Evans:
Yeah, I think the opportunities for awareness are great on both sides of that equation, and I thought the bonding that took place between or amongst everybody was amazing. I think that's going to continue to be a real highlight of what we do, especially early on.

Lonny Evans:
One of the neat things that I've experienced is, seeing kids who came in and maybe relied on two volunteers, one on either side as they leaned heavily into a stick to keep their balance, two, three practices later are now skating one their own, and the body language just tells you the confidence as well as the big smile on the face.

Lonny Evans:
So, I think over time the idea of having a lot of volunteers, but phasing out the numbers will take place as people gain confidence and experience, and they don't have other people doing it for them. They are skating, they are doing it for themselves. I like to think of the other volunteers and coaches, we're partnering with each other to do this.

Lonny Evans:
A fun experience for me in another kind of great equalizer was, I skated up to one of our newer skaters a few weeks ago, and I asked her if there's anything I could do. Is there anything that she would want to do to help out, and she said, "Well, could you grab the jersey on my left side?" So I agreed, and I skated over, and I grabbed a handful of jersey. She said, "Coach Lonny, that's my right side." So, we can always learn from others, and certainly that's the case for me. But, it was a great time, just another big smile. We're out here having fun on the ice and at that time, what could have been better?

Jeff Thompson:
Lonny, when you first heard about this and the Wild getting involved, how did that happen?

Lonny Evans:
Sure, my first invitation to get involved with Blind Hockey came a few months ago. I had been working late one night, stopped in at a store, and checked an email message. It was from a friend of mine from Minnesota Hockey, Toni Gillen, and she asked me if I was still interested in getting back into hockey. I said, "Absolutely," and her message was, "Well, that's wonderful, because I want you to be part of helping us start Blind Hockey in Minnesota."

Lonny Evans:
It really struck a chord with me, because I had worked with Toni, working with other folks with disabilities through the years, and loved all of it. But, this was also really personal to me, as my grandfather had lost his vision when I was younger. I was able to do a lot of things with my grandfather, actually he wanted to go fishing, and I would be the one who as a middle schooler, would take the boat out and we'd go fishing. I would take him to different events for folks who happened to be blind, and a bunch of things like that through the years. So, it was just very personal for me on that level, as well as knowing the impact that hockey can have on folks. I couldn't wait to jump on board.

Jeff Thompson:
And you have, if you may, have another personal story about someone with a disability that started playing hockey as well.

Lonny Evans:
Yes, absolutely. Our daughter Elena was adopted from Russia. She went from the hospital to the orphanage due to a birth condition where both of her legs were not weight bearing. So after we heard about Elena and pursued her, she came home at three and a half. A couple months after she arrived here in the US, she had both feet amputated at Shriners Hospital, healed up that summer, and then took her first steps as an almost four year old the day after 9-11. It was about two years later that she was the only girl on here all boys Might hockey team out in Minnetonka, and Elena started skating and that just kind of took off for her, her love for hockey. She's flourished on and off the ice since then.

Jeff Thompson:
Yeah, surrounding someone with high expectations, role models, her brothers and stuff like that, probably helped a lot.

Lonny Evans:
Absolutely. She would have therapy regularly at Shriners Hospital, but I think probably some of the most impactful therapy for her was trying to keep up with her brothers who were just a couple months younger or a year and a half older. That really was a normalizing type of experience for her. It absolutely ramped up the expectations. It absolutely ramped up the level of confidence that she can do things. She was very motivated, and so all that really helped her out.

Lonny Evans:
Even for example when she was playing hockey, the idea that she had to carry her own hockey bag made her part of what was going on, and she wasn't treated with kid gloves, but had the same expectations as everybody else. I think we've been able to apply that in a lot of different areas. There's no doubt that she's been able to do some wonderful things, but we're not surprised by that. We expected that for her and from her, and wanted that for her.

Jeff Thompson:
And, that's a great success story in itself, and it's continuing. Just like this hockey opportunity, Blind Hockey from the Minnesota Wild being an opportunity to people to show up, get going on something, and break down those barriers as we first started out by talking about. The barriers that we think are in front of us or people think are in front of them, and that's where all those low expectations come.

Jeff Thompson:
So, I think it's a great opportunity for people to get involved in it, whether you're a volunteer or whether you're putting on the skates. May have been awhile since you put them on, but it's an opportunity to actually get to know people, communicate, share ideas, and probably develop friendships in the long run too, networks.

Lonny Evans:
Yeah, absolutely. I think the benefits or the fruit of skating for the Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey Program, is already happening. We're seeing some really neat things take place right now, but I'm confident that that'll continue on and probably in ways that we can't even anticipate as an organization or individually. The feedback has been really positive. I think people are really grateful for this opportunity. It's just really fun to hear the excitement that kids and adults and parents and guardians have for this whole thing. As if any of us needed any other motivation, to see those smiles and to hear the excitement about doing this is just amazing. I think we're just scratching the surface here.

Jeff Thompson:
Well this is a great opportunity. Lonny, can you tell people who are interested in this or who want to learn more about Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey, where they can go to find more information?

Lonny Evans:
Yes, if you go to mnspecialhockey.org, there is a link to Blind Hockey specifically, and you can sign up as a skater, as an individual volunteer, or as a volunteer team.

Jeff Thompson:
And that would be like the high school players that came and joined in?

Lonny Evans:
Yes, yep. Absolutely. So, we have got some high school kids. We've got a Bantam team coming soon. I've got some friends who skate in the Adult Hockey Association who have signed up as a team. So, we want to encourage entire teams to come out, but also would love to have individual skaters come and join us on the ice.

Jeff Thompson:
Well Lonny, I want to thank you and the Minnesota Wild for creating this opportunity for everybody. I think it's a great thing, especially here in Minnesota. Remember, a miracle on ice, right?

Lonny Evans:
Yes. I have to tell you, when we were out in Pittsburgh, people heard we were coming. So, I think there's a real sense of family, so people knew we were coming representing Minnesota, and were welcoming us. We were also getting a lot of, "What took you so long," or "It's about time," and "State of Minnesota, state of hockey, what took so long?" So, there was some great teasing that way, but we talked about expectations as far as skaters and individuals and people with a disability or no disability. So I think it's kind of funny, but also I think it's kind of telling that there is an expectation that Minnesota would be doing something like this.

Lonny Evans:
So, I can't say enough about the Minnesota Wild and they are just so supportive, and are putting so much behind this. I think it says a lot about the organization, about the people there, and their buy-in, and their desire to see people of all abilities be able to participate at some level in the wonderful game of hockey.

Jeff Thompson:
Well, there's no time like the present, right?

Lonny Evans:
Absolutely, we'd love to get more folks out there. So, I thank you for the opportunity to spread the word, and thank you for the way that you are helping us to promote this and get the word out.

Jeff Thompson:
Thanks Lonny. We'll put the link in the show notes too, so if you click down below you'll be able to get right to that website and volunteer, join. If there's anybody that you know who is visually impaired that you think this would be something that they would enjoy, let them know. So share it out there folks.

Lonny Evans:
Perfect.

Recording:

Yeah!

Jeff Thompson:
It's great having Lonny in the studio. Be sure to check out the website at mnspecialhockey.org. Thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed, and until next time, bye-bye.

Recording:         When we share what we see through each others eyes, we can then begin to bridge the gap between [inaudible] expectations and the reality of blind abilities.

Jeff Thompson:
For more podcasts with the blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com, on Twitter at Blind Abilities, download our app from the app store Blind Abilities, that's two words, or send us an email at info@blindabilities.com. Thanks for listening.

[Music]  [Transition noise]  

-When we share

-What we see

-Through each other's eyes...

[Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence]

...We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities.

Jeff Thompson:

For more podcasts with a blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.BlindAbilities.com, on Twitter @BlindAbilities. Download our app from the App Store, Blind Abilities. That's two words. Or send us an email at info@BlindAbilities.com. Thanks for listening.