For these athletes with autism, hockey scores big
WATERTOWN — The sound of clattering hockey sticks echoed off brick walls and the smell of cotton candy wafted from a concession stand Sunday morning, as about two dozen players filled the ice at the John A. Ryan Skating Arena.
For hours, the East Coast Jumbos, an all-ages hockey team for athletes with autism and other developmental disabilities, roved the rink, running drills and three-on-three skirmishes. The practice helps players develop athletic and teamwork skills, they and their family members said, but also greater confidence and independence.
Billy Carroll, an eight-year veteran of the team, skated a slaloming course, gently ushering the puck under horizontal bar obstacles before slapping it into a pair of nestled nets. Gliding into the back of the line, he clicked hockey sticks with fellow skaters.
“It is fun how we practice and enjoy the game,” Carroll, 20, said after stepping off the ice, a wide smile visible behind his helmet’s face shield. “I love all the other sports, [but] hockey is much more fun.”
Carroll’s mother, Sue Carroll, said playing for the Jumbos has been “a dream come true,” and he would likely not get the same level of support on a traditional team.
“He’s getting to do what he enjoys, what he loves, what he’s passionate about,” she said.
Coach Ray LeBlanc founded the Jumbos in 2007, partly for his own son, Shane, who is on the autism spectrum. In nearly two decades, he said, it has grown to more than 60 members, including Shane, who is now 31 and one of two players with the Jumbos since the team’s inception.
“For a lot of these kids, this is like a really major part of their lives,” LeBlanc said. “The friendships some of these kids have really formed with each other are great, and things that maybe they didn’t have before.”
Members are divided into three teams based on skill level and how much direct support they need. During the season, the Jumbos gather for weekly practices and, occasionally, skirmish with local college teams — including athletes from Boston College, Tufts University, and more. LeBlanc said the Jumbos love getting to compete alongside such skilled players on their storied rinks.
About one in 36 children has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which can affect socialization, communication, and behavior, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And its reported prevalence has increased in recent decades — up from around one in every 150 children diagnosed with the condition in 2000.
April is Autism Acceptance Month, when medical professionals and advocates try to educate the public about the condition. Massachusetts is home to a growing number of adults with autism, who at 22, qualify for adult services with the Department of Developmental Services.
LeBlanc said the transition to adulthood, and away from school-age support programs, can be daunting for autistic young people and their families, but Jumbos aims to provide its players with a support network that spans beyond childhood.
For that, the Jumbos will be honored at the Teamsters Local 25 Gala for Autism at the Boston Convention Center on April 27.
Earlier Sunday morning, coach Paul Scarnici led a “chalk talk” session for about a dozen teammates, who sat in locker room cubbies, watching as Scarnici charted practice drills on a rink-shaped dry-erase board. He pointed to one side of the rink.
“What do we call that? The ” Scarnici asked, partially cut off by the answer.
“Defensive zone!” a couple of voices called out. The coach nodded and marked the whiteboard.
Scarnici, who lives in Franklin and has a son on the team, said he’s been helping coach the Jumbos for about eight years.
He said the chalk talks are a new addition, and they help players visualize new strategies.
“You hope that they can understand it and bring it to the ice,” he said, pausing to help a young player lace his skates. “To see any one of them out there at any time even do something in a game that we knew they were practicing ... it’s rewarding. It gives the coaches big smiles; we high-five each other.”
Sunday’s practice was the penultimate of this year’s season, which caps off at the end of the month with the Special Hockey International Annual Tournament in Rockland. Though some glided more gracefully across the ice than others, the Jumbos appeared to share a common enthusiasm.
“You don’t have to be a good player, you just have to put the work in,” Jumbos player Jenna Markow said. “That’s kind of the vibe of the team: you fall down, it’s no big deal, get back up.”
During the week, Markow works at a supermarket, runs the team’s social media, and helps design its merchandise. Having played town and high school hockey years earlier, she said the Jumbos are the best team she’s ever been part of.
“It’s been one constant thing throughout my life,” Markow said. “You always have [the] Jumbos.”