Richard Bell Memorial Tournament, 17-18 (Oakville Rangers Hockey Club)

The Oakville Rangers Hockey Club is pleased to welcome the Challenger Hockey program into its operations for the 2017-2018 season.

The Challenger Hockey program was organized in 2008 by the Joy of Learning Centre, a family run therapy based centre for children with autism and special needs. The program was developed to provide the opportunity for children and youth with special needs to practice and develop their skating and hockey skills in a safe and inclusive environment.

The program began with only a handful of skaters and has since grown to over 100 skaters. Like the number of registered skaters, the interest in the game of hockey has also grown.

The incorporation of Challenger Hockey into the Oakville Rangers Hockey Club will further develop this growing interest in special needs hockey and will provide these players with hockey-centred coaching and skills development. As the program continues to grow, we hope to have multiple teams of varying skill levels and the ability to interact with other similar programs in the area.

Among other things, the main goal of this partnership is to provide these kids and their families the opportunity to be a part of a hockey club central to the values and identity of their community, while allowing them to share in the experiences of their typically developing siblings and peers.

If you are interested and want more information please contact Aline McMullen at [email protected] .