

By Michael Caples –

Zach Cardinell spends his workdays helping individuals with developmental disabilities.

What the client services coordinator at New Gateways in West Bloomfield – a company that assists adults ages 26 and up with special needs in Oakland County – does with his weekends is just as important, however.

Cardinell formed the Special Needs Street Hockey League in 2012, in an effort to share the sport with those who might not otherwise get the opportunity to play.

“SNSHL started because I love hockey and the people I serve in my day-to-day work,” said Cardinell, a 26-year-old Clarkston native. “I really wanted to give folks with special needs an arena to be competitive and passionate about a sport and in my opinion, there is no other sport in the world that melds competition and passion better than hockey.”

Cardinell describes SNSHL as a social group that revolves around hockey. The participants meet each Saturday at 10 a.m. to play at Borden Park in Rochester Hills – a park that offers a roller hockey court with all the proper hockey paintings and markings.

“We get the group together once a week and run different drills, play games, discuss professional hockey and rib each other,” said Cardinell, who just started skating a few years ago, as well. “We are still a small group with a wide variety of skill level, so our practices are pretty laid back. Our volunteers and myself really get to know our players and modify the drills to best suit them. Some of our guys play on a special needs ice hockey team – the MORC Stars – so obviously they have a more competitive drive and have their own areas that they want to work on as opposed to a younger player who just likes to smack a puck into a net. We really want to create an atmosphere that builds leadership, pride and teamwork while at the same time teaching that socialization element.”

Cardinell admits that he wasn’t sure what to expect when trying to bring his unique idea to reality in a few years ago.

“I started the program in 2012 and had no clue what to expect,” he said. “I had only a couple people show up, but we clicked immediately and I spent the summer building great friendships with the couple of players. The summer of 2012 had a massive impact on me and my idea of what I wanted SNSHL to be.”





In 2013, Cardinell asked friends Jason Mueller and Chris Olsen to join the SNSHL volunteer coaching squad, and he’s created a small board of directors, led by Joan Verla, whose son participates in the Saturday league and also skates with the MORC Stars. He also made the SNSHL an official non-profit organization last year.

MORE: Read our article about the MORC Stars here

“With every email and update to our Facebook page, more people want to get involved,” he said. “And talks have already begun about what 2015 will bring.

“My long-term goal for SNSHL is to create a competitive league for folks with special needs. I want it to fun and meaningful. My hope is that we eventually have enough varying skill levels that there can be multiple divisions to ensure anyone with the slightest interest in hockey can experience a competitive team dynamic regardless what barriers may be in their way.”

Yet he doesn’t have to look long-term to see the impact the league is already having on its’ participants. Cardinell pointed to his resident goalie, Bryce, as someone who is thriving on the roller hockey court.

“Bryce is a quiet guy and struggled a bit to find his rhythm when he first joined SNSHL,” Cardinell said. “He since has elected to be the goalie, wearing full gear in the middle of summer and he minds the net through the entire practice. That alone is something that I feel most people wouldn’t be able to do but what is really special is when he gives it 110 percent and makes a phenomenal save and the entire rink lights up and cheers. Both teams begin tapping their sticks, fist bumping and tapping his pads. It’s really great to see a timid guy walk away from the practice with confidence and his head held high. That’s SNSHL hockey.”

Stories like Bryce’s is why Cardinell started the league in the first place, after all.

“The best thing about Saturday morning games is witnessing first hand the development of the players,” Cardinell said. “Like I had said, we aren’t big enough to divide ages and skill ranges, so everyone plays together. There are adults who play ice hockey playing alongside and against young kids who have a stick in their hand for the first time. I bring this up because with a number of people with special needs, recognizing when to play hard and when to step back can be a major barrier but you would never know from watching the SNSHL players in a game. The players will compliment the other team’s players, give each other pointers and switch gears from stick-lifting and using their weight on one another to dig a puck out, to immediately recognizing a younger or smaller player and simply keeping a stick in the shooting lane. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a really cool thing to watch.”

FAQ on the SNSHL Facebook page:

Q: Who are welcome as participants?

A: Individuals with special needs of all ages along with their caregivers.

Q: Are there fees for joining? What is required to participate?

A: The SNSHL is free. The requirements to participate are:

Standard equipment (Hockey helmet with cage, Hockey gloves, Hockey stick)

A present parent or guardian

This participants form must be filled out.

Q: Where does the SNSHL take place?

A: It currently takes place at Borden Park

1400 E. Hamlin Rd.

Rochester Hills, MI 48307

Q: What time does this take place?

A: Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Q: What dates does this take place?

A: The sessions of the SNSHL are broken up into one summer and one early fall session.

Q: Are volunteers welcome?

A: Yes! volunteers are more than welcome, while they do not require any equipment to participate, it is highly recommended.

Q: I have an additional question that isn’t answered here, Who do I contact?

A: you may send a message to us via facbeook, or an email to Zach at SNSHockeyLeague@Gmail.com