To most parents, bringing their kids ice-skating for the first time is pretty exciting. Whether the child holds on to the side of the rink, holds on to a parent’s hand, or pushes a crate, the child usually can figure out how to stabilize themselves on skates. They might tumble on the ice, but they figure out how to get up and try again until they master the art of skating.
This is not the case with Kayla. Due to the instability of her legs, low muscle tone, and poor coordination, Kayla cannot skate at this point in her life. We have never stepped foot on an ice rink. The closest Kayla has come to the ice is riding the zamboni with Mike at UVM. Maybe that is why she loves it, because she is close to the ice.
The UVM hockey team had two games against BU this past weekend. On Saturday, one of the team members mentioned to Kayla that she could skate around with the team after the game on Sunday. Kayla was all excited to go out on the ice, even though she does not own skates, and she is in a walking boot at this point. Her orthopedic doctor hasn’t even cleared her to ski yet, so skating would definitely be out of the question. At that point, I launched into planning mode. How could I help Kayla get out on the ice tomorrow afternoon with her team?
I immediately contacted Bella Webster, one of the players on the UVM women’s hockey team, asked whether or not it would be okay if Kayla went on the ice with her shoe and walking boot. Bella reassured me that the team would get Kayla out on the ice, and she began looking for a milk crate for Kayla to use.
My second dilemma was finding a helmet for Kayla. I thought Kayla could use her ski helmet, but Kayla informed me that she wasn’t wearing a ski helmet. She wanted a hockey helmet just like her teammates. We set off for Play It Again Sports where I explained the situation, and they graciously fitted her with a used helmet. The best part was that the used helmet had three UVM stickers on it! Kayla was so excited when we left for the rink.
A bunch of kids eagerly waited to get on the ice after the game. Kayla had her helmet on and was waiting for some of her teammates. Bella came up and grabbed her and off they went to the bench. I was anticipating that a couple of the players would help Kayla walk on the ice while pushing a crate. But all of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I see Bella flying down the ice with Kayla sitting in front of her on top of two milk crates that were held together by zip ties. Then I see Bella ask if Kayla wants to go faster, and Kayla says yes. They flew off to the other end of the ice. Kayla had the biggest smile on her face and was so excited to go fast. The other teammates came over and pushed her around. She was out on the ice for over 15 minutes and had a blast. It is little things like this that make a difference. Kayla still talks about going on the ice and how much fun she had.
The next step will be getting her hockey skates . . . just for kicks! And thank you Bella for making a difference!