Young man with special needs used to play hockey alone—then got a special offer by ‘Mud Ducks hockey' he couldn’t refuse
A sport might help a person find connections and friendship. However, a young man with special needs who fulfilled his passion for hockey by playing alone was not expecting to find friends on the ice rink. 21-year-old Matt Jenkins had no other way of playing hockey after high school and the transition program was over, other than doing it by himself. But then a group, Mud Ducks, noticed him playing and made an offer that changed Matt's life, per Kare11's Land of 10,000 Stories.
The young man from Cottage Grove would mostly play hockey alone when his dad couldn't play with him. His parents shared that hockey was a crucial part of Matt's life and he played the game on an everyday basis. The man was born with a missing genetic marker in his chromosomes. The doctor told his parents that he was developmentally delayed and had no other explanation to give. Matt enjoyed playing hockey throughout his high school years and for three more years during his school district's transition program. But after all of it was over, the man had no other option but to play his favorite game alone. He was missing his friends at school and began going to the Cottage Grove ice arena during the open skate.
At the arena, a group of men called Mud Ducks in their 60s and 70s were impressed by Matt and offered him to start playing with them. "If you want to come at nine o'clock when we start, you can skate with us," the Mud Ducks told the man, shared his dad. Don Breman and Tom Wan, 74, became Matt's teammates after that point. They started skating together every day. "You are a good teammate," Matt told Don. The team also decided to get better gear and a Mud Ducks jersey for the man. "He sets his alarm every day," his mom continued. "They are everything to him. He comes home and talks about them. So and so wasn't there today. They think he is sick. I hope he's okay."
A man, Steve Berner, noticed how happy Matt was, so he started bringing his son Will, who has autism, to play hockey as well. Will was learning how to skate and receiving constant encouragement from Matt. A high school coach noticed Matt with the Mud Ducks and offered him a job to run the penalty stand on game nights. "They let him be who he is and they are inclusive," Matt's dad remarked. He was also playing Special Olympics Hockey, along with playing with the Mud Ducks. "When we leave, he gives us a hug. It means a lot," the Mud Ducks shared.
People appreciated the Mud Ducks and Matt in the comments section of the video. @thedonleroy wrote, "What a beautiful story. This one brought a tear to my eye when the older gentlemen were talking about getting a hug from Matt and then said it means a lot." @ritaobrien2779 commented, "There is nothing better than a group of men bringing this young man into their circle. So many don't understand that being included is so vital. We had to find a life after post-secondary school. Our daughter is an Equestrian at a therapeutic horseback riding facility. Her whole world opened up just like this young man. So elated for him. Loneliness is so depressing for our special needs community." @body_by_depuy remarked, "People don't understand that hockey players are some of the nicest people on the planet."