WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project for a sled hockey clinic at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, showing how sports play a crucial role in the lives of veterans.
Jonathan Phipps, an outreach specialist with the Wounded Warrior Project, said the program helps veterans rebuild the sense of community they lose after leaving the service.
WATCH: Lightning team up with Wounded Warrior Project
"It's so critical when you get out of the service. You lose that veteran community. To then re-engage with our alumni program and go out there and try something new," Phipps said rink-side. "We're big on doing the hard things and getting out there and moving. That's what's important for our warriors. Get out there, do something physically challenging and something new."
Tony Thomasson, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, had his right leg amputated in November. A chance meeting outside the elevator at the VA hospital led him to his first-ever shift as a sled hockey player.
"I've been an athlete my whole life. So, to have the ability compete removed from my life was really hard on me. I was kinda unaware of all the adaptive options that are out there. It's huge," Thomasson said after his first-ever sled hockey practice. "Being around like-minded veterans, being able to compete again, being athletic. I didn't know if I would ever have this chance again. So, this has been really, really cool."
Tripp Smith, a Marine Corps veteran with nearly a decade of sled hockey experience, said one of his favorite parts of the game is helping newcomers find their footing.
"Showing people the ropes is amazing," Smith said with a smile. "You see the light turn on when they finally get it. Everybody, from kids to adults. Once it turns on and it clicks, they're hooked."
His wife, Gloria Smith, a Marine Corps veteran and Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hockey Coordinator, said the physical benefits of the sport are matched by its impact on mental health. She gets emotional when expressing the importance of sports to her family.
"It literally gave me my husband back," she said frankly. "It gave [Tripp] that sense of community, of brotherhood. It's life-changing."
Tripp said getting back in the game gives a whole new meaning to the word "team."
"You meet so many other veterans that you either met in the Marine Corps, or Army, or Navy. So it's definitely like a family out here," he said.
Gloria added that the Lightning and the Wounded Warrior Project are committed to making the sport accessible to all, regardless of physical obstacles.
"Everyone with their disability is a little bit unique and different. In sled hockey, we do that. We tailor it so everyone has the opportunity to play hockey."
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