Nice on the ice: Bethel Park hockey players continue annual tradition
Defenseman Ryan McLinden takes Alana Martinez around the rink, as Coach Jim McVay chronicles the proceedings.
Cara Stromberg and defenseman Jacob Lang
Forward Tyler Miller and Shawna Palmer
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Defenseman Tommy Worcester and Alec Graham
Christine Danchik with forward Jeffrey Bele
Everyone seems to be enjoying his or her time on the ice at Spencer Family YMCA.
Talk about a hectic morning.
“I was actually just in Hershey about three hours ago,” Connor Price said, “and I drove home so I could be here for the skate.”
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Forward Sean Maerkle with Abraham Matasewski
The senior defenseman on the Bethel Park High School varsity hockey team no doubt took somewhat longer than that to reach the Spencer Family YMCA on Feb. 22, but he wanted to make sure he didn’t miss what has become an annual tradition.
For 19 years, adaptive physical education teacher Linda Graney and hockey head Coach Jim McVay have arranged for his players to participate in an activity during which they pair up with students who have special needs for a good time on the ice for everyone.
“It’s a wonderful day for the children,” Graney said.
“We don’t look at the disability. We look at all the abilities. Some of my kids can skate, because their parents bring them to facilities like this. Others don’t, so we put them in chairs and the players take them around the ice.”
The students, who attend Bethel Park’s Washington Elementary and Neil Armstrong Middle schools, thoroughly enjoyed whizzing around the YMCA rink. And the hockey players thoroughly enjoyed the morning, as well.
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Christine Danchik enjoys her experience with Jeffrey Bele.
“It’s just a great experience, seeing how happy all the kids get and knowing that we can help impact their lives,” team captain Vincent Vituccio said. “It’s a heartwarming feeling, and it’s something that you can’t get anywhere else besides Bethel Park hockey, because no other team does this.”
Vituccio, by the way, was named the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League’s Player of the Month in Varsity Class AAA for January, with the senior forward scoring three goals and an assist during the Blackhawks’ 5-0 run during the month.
Jeffrey Bele, another senior forward, also appreciates the opportunity to spend time with the younger students.
“Every single one of these kids is basically part of Bethel Park hockey, just like us,” he said. “They motivate us.”
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David Gratton and forward Vincent Vituccio
In that regard, the students are working on banners to display at the YMCA when the No. 3-seeded Blackhawks host Central Catholic at 9 p.m. March 4 in the PIHL’s 2019 Class AAA Penguins Cup Playoffs. The victor goes on the face the winner of the playoff game between North Allegheny and Seneca Valley.
McVay has been coaching Bethel Park for 23 years, and not long after he started, he and Graney came up with the idea for the combined skate.
“I was talking with the coach, and we said, ‘Hey, let’s get something together to where everybody can have some fun,'” she recalled. “And it’s been that way ever since. We really love being with Coach McVay and the Bethel Park hockey team, and we’re going to try to keep doing this until we can’t.”
The coach said he likes his players to be involved “to see how blessed they are and to see how much fun the kids have, even though they may not have every advantage that our players have.”
He told the story of lunching at a local restaurant at the same time Graney was there with a group of fellow teachers.
“She starts crying, and comes over and says, ‘I just want to thank you. That’s the highlight of these kids’ year,'” he said. “She’s the best.”
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Forward Dimitri Geronimos and Nathan Lawton