Originally, Martin, who is a USA Hockey Level 2 official and a defenseman, thought he may not be able to play with the Jumbos in Blaine because of an injury to his arm. Therefore, his mom, Shelly, asked Ray LeBlanc, the Jumbos head coach, if Ty could still join the team and officiate a game at the Super Rink.
The news wound up even better as Martin was not only cleared to play this weekend, but he also received the opportunity to officiate a game.
“Well, it’s been a lot of fun at the Special Classic,” Ty said. “I like playing hockey and being a ref. Officiating hockey, I like watching kids play and them learning how to play.”
Martin had been diagnosed with autism, Tourette syndrome and ADHD as a kid, but he is relatively new to the Jumbos and special hockey. The Martins have been family friends with LeBlanc for years, and decided last spring that Martin, who also plays travel and high school hockey, should see if he would enjoy playing on the Jumbos.
Shelly immediately saw a change in her son.
“He’s got a couple of friends socially outside of the Jumbos, but he was missing that social connection,” Shelly said. “We were looking for that for him. The Jumbos have changed his world because now he has a group he can call his friends and go to. We just wanted him to have friends and enjoy it because without it, he is in a dark place.
“The Jumbos is not just about hockey, it’s about friendship and having a group of people you can hang out with.”
Ty has thrived with the Jumbos as a player, as well as a mentor. He will often volunteer his time to help coach some of the younger players within the program’s three teams.
“Everything all around has been a lot of fun with the Jumbos being on the ice and hanging out with my friends,” he said.
Players like Ty was part of the vision LeBlanc had 17 years ago when he founded the East Coast Jumbos.
LeBlanc’s son, Shane, is autistic and Ray wanted to find an avenue for his son to play hockey in a welcoming environment with kids like his son.
Therefore, he started the Jumbos, which is named after Shane’s love for elephants.
“It’s huge because a lot of our population has a tough time integrating with other groups, typical groups, school groups. Whatever it is, they don’t have that luxury of just plug and play. Some don’t have a good a group of friends that they have. Sometimes these kids are the only friends that they have.
“It is great to provide that group of kids.”
The Jumbos also provide a social community for parents raising children with cognitive and developmental disabilities, explained Shelly, who is also a special education teacher.
“It’s brought us as parents a whole new community, and we can talk through what we are going through because they have been through it,” Shelly said. “It is great for parents. I can lean on them and ask them questions. ‘What did you do for this? How did you get help?’
“People are not coming just for hockey. They are coming for that connection. It has been amazing for us in such a short time.”
Whether it was the endless handmade signs in the stands, the social gathering that featured a taco bar and dance party, and the countless laughter and high-fives being shared in the hallway, the Special Classic made lasting memories for so many of the players and families who participated.
“The Special Classic is a great thing,” LeBlanc concluded. “There’s a lot of pluses that come from it. Our team getting together, this is what they love to do. They have a whole weekend together with kids that are from different cities, kids they didn’t grow up with or that they met on the team. They’re having great experiences with them coming out here, playing some really good hockey and having some fun.”
