The program provides equipment, ice time and instruction to anyone with a developmental disability, regardless of age, sex or severity of disability. Claiborne Carr, owner of the Ice House, donates the ice for practices from 8 to 9 a.m. on Saturdays -- an hour of ice can cost several hundred dollars -- and his son, Tyler, who has Down syndrome, was one of the original Ice Dogs.
"The self-esteem these children have gotten from this whole experience, it's incredibly positive," Carr said. "And it's not without discipline and focus and sitting people down and saying, 'You need to work on this or that.' But the excitement and joy they get and the confidence all of them have gained, it has been very, very special to see."
Tyler Carr yells encouragement to Ice Dogs teammates during their game last night against Cooksville (Ontario) Crusaders, which ended in a 5-5 tie.
(Jonathan Newton -- The Washington Post)
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Hockey is as physically demanding as any sport. The coordination and balance required to skate, shoot and pass does not come easy, and many of the Ice Dogs had never been on the ice before their first practice. Hickey and the team's other coach and founder, Stu Ronaldson, solicit help from local high school players.
"Just learning to skate, there's a sense of accomplishment there," Hickey said. "And the kids love it because it's kind of out of the realm of what you would expect. It's more interesting for them to go into the community and say, 'I'm a hockey player.' There's a real sense of pride in that."
Rules such as icing and offsides are not enforced, and the reliance among teammates helps break down barriers. Some Ice Dogs have severe motor skill problems or Attention Deficit Disorder, but the constant motion of the sport is favorable to them. The muscle movements involved in skating are similar to crawling, which is a natural impulse familiar to the players.
"I get to see these kids overwhelming themselves and really getting off on their accomplishments," Ronaldson said, "and I get to see the parents moved by it as well. It's a very powerful experience to live through."
Sonet will never forget the day she learned that the Ice Dogs were forming. Smith saw a flier about the team's formation at school and raced off the bus that afternoon, yelling to his mom that he could play hockey again.
"This has been such a blessing," said Sonet, who pulled her son out of youth hockey when teams could not accommodate his needs. "This is his dream."
Smith's best friend is Joe Howe, a fellow Ice Dog. Howe, 34, has a learning disability and was passed through public schools despite not knowing how to count money, read or tell time (all of which he does now). He was abused as a youngster and lived with foster families before settling in a group home in Annapolis.
The Ice Dogs have had a profound impact on his life. For the first time, Howe has been able to hold a job for more than a year -- he loves working at Safeway, particularly because many Capitals shop there -- and he has assimilated more into society.
"Hockey has brought a lot to my life," Howe said. "I have a lot of new friends and we've grown a lot through the years. I want to continue playing hockey as long as I can."
