Hi from sled hockey player from Russia!
Hi, im 16 and i`ve been playing sled for 4,5 years already and i always wanted to ask how it is orgonized in the US?
So, Russian adaptive hockey federation has more than 100 U18 teams. and they divided in 4 tiers. 4 tier is mostly kids with very strong cerebral palsy (usually under 16). 3 tier is people with cerebral palsy, but who can freely move without any support. 2 tier is amputees. and 1 tier is amputees who is ready to play with adults and many of them are playing in Russian U18 national team. (this discription is very vague but it`s mostly right, for example i have cerebral palsy but i`ve never used a wheelchair, so i closer to 3 tier, but my team is playing in 4 tier so im playing with them).
its also very inclusive, in one team can play males, females and kids without any diseases, but only under 14 years.
also every year there is a festivale of adaptive hockey at amusment park in Sochi. rules there are stupid, you`r team is divided in 2 lines with stickers (red and yellow) on their helmets and every 5 minutes referee blows the whistle and the whole red helmet line changes for the yellow helmet one and it tooks a lot of time and the clock doesn`t stops in the 4 tier. but there is a lot of teams (last year there were mor than a hundred teams, and not only sled hockey there is also blind hockey, special hockey(hockey for kids with mental diseases) teams) and also there is a lot of activities outside the ice so it`s a cool event.
so, i wanted to ask. is there any events like this festival in the US? are teams diveded into tiers? is there a lot of teams for children?