BUFFALO, N.Y. — On a first listen, the North Buffalo rink on an early Sunday morning might sound like an ordinary hockey practice.
However, if you look closely enough, you’ll quickly find out just how extraordinary this Buffalo Sabres Thunder hockey team really is.
“I’ve been involved with the Special Olympics since 1992 and I wanted to do this,” goaltender Nick Zmuda said. “This is a good hockey team, you should join us.”
The Buffalo Sabres Thunder organization was founded in 2008 by Pam and Mike Steffan, and it has been growing and thriving for 16 years in the City of Buffalo ever since.
The program invites all special needs athletes of any age or gender to join in on the fun and live out their passion for the sport of hockey.
“I don’t think we imagined how much it would have an impact overall on the players' lives," Pam Steffan said.
The influence of the program has also changed the lives of the families and parents such as Joan Golda, whose son, Vincent, is a member of the team.
“We came into this hockey program, it was a whole new world,” Golda said. “They become confident and more independent, and the friendships outside of here, they do things together where normally they might be lonely.”
Pam Steffan added: “Most of these families never dreamed that their individuals, their sons or daughters with disabilities would be playing the game of ice hockey.”
These athletes are not only refining their skills on the ice but off the ice and outside of the rink as well. Peter Rich, a member of the Sabres Thunder since its creation in 2008, emphasized how much his experience on the team has helped his social skills as well.
“Oh, it’s improved my social skills 100% with my nonverbal learning disorder,” Rich said. “It really helps out.”
The Buffalo Sabres Thunder program genuinely embodies what it means to have a sincere love and passion for the game of hockey.
Chris Polisoto, a 15-year member of the organization, said that his experience on the team over the years “has taught me that I can do anything. No matter what you have or where you're from, hockey is for everyone.”
RELATED: