LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A co-ed youth sled hockey team is filling a gap in the Las Vegas Valley for children with physical disabilities.
FOX5 spoke with Vegas Golden Chariots players about what the team means to them.
“I was never able to play hockey because my left leg got shorter than my right,” player Colin Rios said. “I found this sport and I was like, ‘oh wow, I can now play hockey.’”
“On the Vegas Golden Chariots, you never feel like you’re a weirdo,” another player, Carter Hirschi, shared.
The team’s President, Chad Smith, says the team started in 2020 as a small group, and has now grown to about 17 players.
Chad says they practice once a week at City National Arena, and scrimmage against other youth sled hockey teams across the country.
“We adapt to whatever needs to happen to make sure that that child can play hockey on the ice,” Chad explained.
Although winning feels great, players say the real prize is the friendships they’ve formed along the way.
“They’re like a family to me,” Hirschi expressed. “I just feel very connected to them.”
They’re dreaming big, too.
“I would like to be like a Paralympian once I grow older,” player Francis McCabe said.
And, these ambitious athletes have a message to anyone thinking about joining their team.
“Just try it. Come out on the ice and see if you want to do it,” player Blake Smith said.
Chad says they’re always welcoming new players, and thanks to their generous donors, there’s not much of a cost associated with the team.
Anyone interested in joining can email the team: [email protected].
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