by ALEXANDRA RETTER
During a recent practice, a coach walked back and forth along the sidelines of the court, observing the plays the students made and providing feedback on what they did well. The coach praised a student for quickly clearing the puck away from the goal and congratulated another student for being determined in chasing after the puck. Adapted floor hockey at Winona Area Public Schools (WAPS) gives students with disabilities an opportunity to play a team sport and connect with their peers in general education classes.
“And this is a sport for them,” said Shannon Bechly, a retired WAPS special education teacher who is now the team’s head coach. “Yes, kids who have disabilities can be on regular high school sports teams. But this one is definitely one for their levels, and I think the kids enjoy it.”
At practice, students work on passing and determining where to position themselves on the court, Bechly said. “And being a good teammate is very important,” she said. “It’s great if you can score, but it’s even better if you can pass it to somebody else and let them score.”
Students play games against other WAPS high school sports teams, as well as family and staff members. “We thought it would really build relationships between students who have disabilities and students who do not,” Bechly said. “So the relationships that are growing are great among all the students.” She added that the team recently played the girls’ basketball team. ”It was wonderful … I think the teams, the other various teams, really appreciate it. I know our kids do. And I think … even the girls’ basketball team parents were like, ‘Wow, this is so cool! This is great.’” She loves seeing students score in a game who may not typically score. “ … When they do score, their excitement goes through the roof,” she said. “To hear the fans cheer for everybody is huge.”
Ninth grader Malachi Kelly has learned how to pass the puck and flick a pass in the air, and he enjoys running fast while playing. He normally plays center or defense and sometimes is the goalie. Senior Kristin Mangahas said her strength is running, and she usually plays center or defense. They both like spending time with friends through the sport. Kelly said he’s learned about leadership. “I’m always looking for open passes …” he said. Bechly said, “Malachi has stepped it up as a leader.” Bechly said that Mangahas has gained confidence. Kelly said he appreciates “that we can push to be better,” and he and his teammate said they hope to win upcoming games and beat their highest score.
“I would like them to learn teamwork — in all situations, not just in an athletic competition — kindness, and just to have fun and to always try their best,” Bechly said. Coaching has emphasized to her that everyone has a strength, from being there for teammates to working really hard. “And I’ve learned to have fun,” she said. “You can run a practice, you can kind of be driven, but you can still do it in a way that kids want to learn and want to have fun.”
The team got started in 1998, Bechly said. A staff member at the time had a brother with special needs and played floor hockey in the Twin Cities, she said, so that staff member worked with colleagues to form a team in the district. Bechly started watching the team when it got started and has been coaching the team in some capacity for at least 12 years now. “I chose to be a special education teacher, and I liked watching my students get out there and participate,” she said. Previously, the team played in the Minnesota State High School League Conference, she explained, but that entailed playing games in the Twin Cities, and as the team’s numbers dwindled, it became less feasible to continue playing in the league. Staff then switched the team to its current mode of playing other Winhawks teams. “One of the last times we were officially in the high school league, we had a playoff game, and it went into overtime,” she said. “And we won. One of our players scored. And at the end, she did a little cheerleading kick, which we all just thought was great.”