Isles Staff and Viscardi School Alumni Celebrate Hockey is for Everyone

For Todd Decker and the alumni of the Henry Viscardi School, hockey truly is for everyone, and that was on display during a wheelchair hockey game on Thursday night.

The Viscardi alumni hosted a team of New York Islanders staffers and alumni, competing for the inaugural Cougar Cup at the Viscardi Center. The Viscardi alumni eked out a 4-3 comeback win over the Isles group late in the third period.

"It's a win-win situation for everybody," Decker said. "What better way to promote disability awareness and education than through the greatest sport on Earth, hockey, no matter how you play it, be on skates or in a wheelchair."

Wheelchair hockey allows people with disabilities, like Decker, a chance to get involved and play the game they love through adaptive means. Each Viscardi alum has his or her own disability, but wheelchair setting is the equalizer, for both the students and guests like Pat Flatley and Radek Martinek, who both played in the game on Thursday night.

Controlling a wheelchair and a hockey stick is no easy task, even for former pros.

"It's humbling," Flatley said. "A lesson in humility."

Flatley first played in a wheelchair hockey game at the Viscardi Center during his playing days on Long Island. He met Decker when Decker was a high school sophomore and the two have stayed connected for over 30 years. Through this relationship, Flatley has stayed close to the school and its mission.

"This is a very important school in the Long Island community for children with disabilities," Flatley said. "The Islanders have always been a big part of the spirit here and I think it's vital to continue to do something with them."

The Islanders have kept close ties with the Viscardi Center over the years. Bob Nystrom was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the school this past year, while current Islanders like Scott Mayfield have also dropped by for a game. That support means the world to the students and alumni.

"The partnership with the Islanders means a lot personally and because of all the kindness the organization has shown to my classes," said Alex Garrett, who attended the school from 1996-2009. "To see this relationship continue over so many years means a lot and it is great to see newer alumni, like Radek Martinek, join in and make an impact."

Garrett, who attended the Viscardi School from 1996-2009, did play-by-play for Thursday's game and said seeing the Islanders back out there on the floor filled him with nostalgia. That's part of the idea of hosting it.

"We're here to put a smile on their face," Martinek said. "It feels great when you see them smiling and having fun."

Thursday's game served another purpose, - to promote disability awareness and how sportsmanship and teamwork transcend the able-bodied and disabled worlds.

"It's fun, but it's also competitive," Garrett said. "It's important to show the world that we're not just wiling away somewhere. We are competitive human beings that just want to be out there and be part of life and these adaptive sports give us a chance to be part of life."