On this week's Laura's Good News podcast, WCCO's Laura Oakes drops by hockey practice, and it's not just any old practice.
Dana Thiede isn't any old coach either.
"This form of hockey is for kids and young adults who deal with cognitive stuff,” says Thiede. “Autism, Downs', seizure disorders, traumatic brain injuries. It always bugs me when folks like to take people who are living with challenges and it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, look at them! They get to play hockey! Isn't that just nice?’ And pat them on the head or whatever. My young adults, these people, can play.”
Thiede's daughter Kendall, who has autism, is on the team. Big sister Delaney helps out as well. The Thiede family and other Minnesota Special Hockey families frequently travel together for tournaments, which he says is an excellent time for bonding and sharing their unique challenges.
"Getting from Point A to B, and doing simple stuff, it's like pulling teeth with a pliers sometimes,” says Thiede. “When you're with other people and they're like, ‘Oh my God, 'Just last week!' and they tell a story and they laugh and you laugh and it gets better. Because someone's walking in your shoes. You don't feel alone."
As for the coaching, Thiede says he can't imagine a more rewarding gig, where basically the key to success is not taking things too seriously.
"We'll plan a drill and it just falls on its face,” Thiede told WCCO’s Laura Oakes. “No one's getting it. I'm doing a bad job teaching it. And we just laugh and you move on. You just leave the stuff that doesn't work behind and you move on and just do your thing."
You can hear Laura's full entire interview with Dana on this week's Laura's Good News podcast, available now on the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts. Laura’s Good News airs at 6:30am Sunday morning on News Talk 830 WCCO.
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