Hockey Day Minnesota was celebrated recently, and this week, a very special hockey event will be coming to Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School as the Meeker and Wright Special Education Co-op (MAWSECO) hosts the first-ever Adapted Floor Hockey Day MAWSECO.
Vinnie Pokornowski, an adapted phy-ed teacher with MAWSECO says the concept is pretty simple…
“…Everyone should have a chance to play hockey. So we just want to get some major adapted sports going for out member schools. Joe Punchocar at Howard Lake, the athletic director, he was excited about bringing something, and we just kind of teamed up and said, let’s try adaptive hockey….see how it goes and see if there’s interest. We’re just really excited to have a Hockey Day MAWSECO over there for the kids.”
(Vinnie Pokornowski – photo: Kendell Kubasch / KRWC Radio)
Pokornowski says the Minnesota State High School League has guidelines for sanctioned adapted hockey, and Friday’s local event will be loosely based on those existing guidelines…
“…they have two different divisions, they have a PI and a CI, or physical impairment or cognitive impairment. For this event, although those divisions are usually separate, we’re saying bring all your students. Being our first year, we just want to get as many students as possible.”
He describes the physical environment of Friday’s tournament…
“…it’s basketball sized courts, so we’ll be in the fieldhouse at Howard Lake, and they’ll have two different courts, or rinks going on. So we have the four teams, Annandale, Howard Lake Delano and Rockford that will be there. It will be 6 by 4 goals, we’re going to use foam sticks for this year, and a little bit larger ball for this year.”
The event will be happening on Friday January 31st, from 10 AM to 12 PM at the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School. Admission is free, and spectators are asked to use the Community Education Center entrance in the lower level east side parking lot.
