On the past October 16th, my son, Calder, and I went to see the hockey tryout for Team Canada (which will be participating in the 2011 Deaflympics in Slovakia) at the Vaughan Sports Village in Vaughan, Ontario.  As my son is Deaf, I wanted him to see the Deaflympics hopefuls in action, especially the fine men from across Canada who came to the tryout.  We would not have come to this if there wasn't an announcement on the CDHIF website and the courtesy of the CDHIF board, such as Mr. Roy Hysen.  Mr. Hysen took time out of his very busy schedule, being the general manager of the Winter Deaflylmpics Canadian Hockey Team, to provide me with the details of this try-out.
 
The Vaughan Sports Village was a big hockey centre that...

had four rinks plus other amenities. While this may not seem a big centre for these regulars who attend there for their GTHL homes but it was certainly a big place for a 7 year old boy. This was a busy place, especially on a Saturday with the hockey games and skating class. We found the tryouts rather easily by spotting hands flying in the air. It was the Canadian Deaflympics Hockey Tryouts!
 
I met some old friends there and Calder met new friends that were the management team such as Mr. Gary Rosenbloom, the chief scout and Mr. Danny Daniels, the assistant manager. Roy and the management team welcomed my son rather warmly and asked my son what team and position he played. Needless to say, my son beamed with pride when he answered their questions. The management team does know how to inspire future Deaf hockey athletes and this is what the CDHIF is all about. Inspiring and motivating Deaf hockey athletes to pursue their dreams.
 
The athletes at the tryout were of top calibre as they showed their experience and professionalism on the ice and also by jostling with my son. My son's smiles in the fog on the window showed me that he was enjoying his time with the athletes on the other side of the window, on the ice. The athletes were demonstrating the values of CDIHF. While this was happening, a man behind me tapped on my shoulder....
 
He was a non-Deaf man who tried to ask me by enunicating his lips very clearly with wondering eyes.."How are they able to talk to each other ?" He was asking about how the Deaf players could communicate with each other on the ice. Well, I pointed out to him that the players are able to take off their gloves during their breaks but also to read the faces of the players on the ice. I wondered if he knew that the athletes on the ice played on the JR. B, OHL and University levels ? I also wondered if he knew of Jim Kyte who said that he often used the glass to see players coming up behind him.
 
I think that my son left the tryouts with a broader and brighter vision of himself succeeding in hockey and brought  home much more wisdom and confidence.
 
Thank you  CDIHF, its board, management team and the athletes on that ice for  inviting my son and I to witness this tryouts and his future unrolling before himself.

Sincerely,

Wayne Nicholson