With the help of a national hockey program, blind and partially sighted youths are getting a chance to skate with confidence.

Courage Canada Hockey for the Blind, a program that helps kids learn to skate and try blind hockey with one-one-one support, was at the Canlan Ice Sports Arena Wednesday with 15 students from around the city. Winnipeg is one of their final stops on their coast-to-coast youth learn-to-skate program.

On-ice mentors from the University of Manitoba’s men’s and women’s hockey team joined in on the ice as they skated laps and practiced hockey skills with the kids, aged 12 to 18, who are blind or partially sighted. Some hockey players even carried smaller students, skating and holding them until they were comfortable enough to move around on their own.

“I think it’s a fantastic program (for) the children to get out on the skates and experience playing hockey,” said Manitoba Bisons’ men’s coach Mike Sirant.

After watching a video on Courage Canada’s website from a session in Ontario, he knew it would be a positive experience for blind youths who may not feel comfortable skating yet.

“It’s amazing to see how much fun and joy the children are getting from that experience, and I’m sure the children in Winnipeg and Manitoba are going to have that same type of enjoyment,” said Sirant. “We’re just pleased and proud to be associated with the event.”

All the children involved in the workshop skate at different levels, some taking to the ice for the first time at Wednesday’s event.

For newer skaters, Courage Canada provides extra padding and skating aides/walkers to help kids stay steady on the ice, as well as a special puck that jingles and makes noise so students know when it’s being passed to them.

But six-year-old Colton skates with little help on the rink — he gets his main support from his proud family on the sidelines.

“I took him out (on the ice) when he was three, and we just started hockey this year,” said Lyle Cuvelier, Colton’s father, who was watching with Colton’s grandparents Wednesday.

Colton was born with aniridia, a rare disorder characterized by a complete or partial absence of the coloured part of the eye. His grandfather said that when he was three months old, doctors told his parents he was blind and deaf.

According to Cuvelier, though, that hasn’t stopped his son from trying his best with sports, specifically hockey. Colton’s grandmother also said her grandson’s room is decked out in Jets colours.

“We play baseball and everything, and I’ll throw a baseball at him ... and he apologizes to me for not catching it. Even though they can’t see it, treat them like normal, and they’ll tell you when they can’t do something,” said Cuvelier, who said he’s hoping a small league or some ice time involving young blind players like Colton could help others feel included and build skill-sets for when they’re older.

“Just let your kid try as hard as he can. Just don’t treat them any different, really.”

wpgsun.citydesk@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @hellorousseau