I got an e-mail yesterday from the YES Network
(Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network) regarding some images I took for the
Long Island Sled Hockey team. The YES Network will be doing a piece on the hockey team which will air on February 9th. Basically, the Long Island Sled Hockey team is for individuals from 7 to 21+ years of age with physical and/or mental handicaps. The Local WABC in New York will also be doing a piece on the team featuring images from their visit to West Point.
The team is known as the RoughRiders and have been playing for 14+ years and has been incorporated since 2003. I had the opportunity to photograph them both this year, and as well as, last year during the teams visit to West Point.
The following was taken from the web-site for the Long Island Sled Hockey Team.
Long Island Sled Hockey, Inc. is an organization made up of 45 physically and/or mentally handicapped athletes between the ages of 7 and 21+ who participate in a wonderful sport called sled hockey. This sport is described on our Home page. We have been competing for 14 years and were incorporated as Long Island Sled Hockey, Inc. on December 29th of 2003. Our team name "RoughRiders" was chosen in honor of President Teddy Roosevelt.
This amazing group of young boys and girls has captured the hearts of everyone with whom they've come in contact. Their accomplishments are many and are listed in our Scrapbook section. We are the only program of its kind in the United States as we enjoin both physically and mentally challenged athletes on the ice. Our athletes are afflicted with such disabilities as autism, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, dystonia, mental retardation, spina bifida and the like. Their success we measure in smiles not medals, in pride not ribbons, in determination and courage, not wins and losses.
Unfortunately, we are also the only program of its kind without a corporate sponsor to help defray our expenses. With sleds averaging $800-$1200 each, uniforms and protective equipment costing upwards of $2000 per athlete, ice rental currently at $635 per 90 minute session, and the ever-increasing insurance, travel and tournament fees, our yearly budget stands at nearly $220,000. ALL monies raised during the year (see Home page) go directly to our athletes. There are no administrative fees or coaches salaries paid. We are a New York State not-for-profit organization and have been issued a federal ID number and are a 501(c)(3) federally tax-exempt organization.
Your willingness to get involved is admirable, your assistance is very much needed. On behalf of our athletes, coaches, staff and parents, I thank you for visiting our site and hope for your support.
Well it's been a long season for me with hockey. When the season began I started off with my new in-goal camera housing. I was able to get some fantastic shots with the camera set up in the goal. It was certainly put through all the tests that hockey could have put it through. It survived 3 man pile ups in the goal, goalies flat on their back on top of it, to many other forms of abuse one might not thing a camera should be subject to.
