'Sled Hockey Saved My Life'

Sarah Bettencourt still can't really believe what life has been like the last few weeks.
With the benefit now of hindsight, and a little reflection, she's taken the time to soak it all in and smile. She joined the Ducks for the national anthem before a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, dropped the ceremonial puck alongside Cam Fowler and Jonathan Toews, did live interviews on NHL Network and ultimately competed in the 2022 USA Hockey Sled Classic, hosted last weekend at Great Park Ice.

"I'm really proud of the work we've done, because it just shows how far we've come and how many lives we've impacted," Bettencourt said. "We are going to change people's lives, and it's going to continue to trickle down over generations. And I'm just super thankful."
Tweet from @NHL: This week at Great Park Ice in Irvine, the San Diego Ducks Sled Hockey Team practiced with the @AnaheimDucks ahead of the 2022 USA Hockey #SledClassic beginning today, Thursday, Nov. 17, at Great Park Ice. #HockeyIsForEveryone pic.twitter.com/TViIck7I9k
Bettencourt is a former Marine who medically retired in 2011 after developing a rare neurological condition that she still can't pinpoint completely nearly a decade later. A larger than life personality, Bettencourt struggled to find herself after returning from her military service, taking some time in a search for purpose amidst challenging medical circumstances.

"To sum it up in one word, it's been a rollercoaster," Bettencourt said with a big laugh. "When I was medically retired from the Marine Corps, I couldn't figure out how to get my life back on track because everything was different. I would wake up, feel okay sometimes and then, partway through the day, something would stop working."
A former high school hockey player, Bettencourt eventually found that meaning on the ice in her sled, a place she now fervently says "saved my life."
" It saved my life on multiple occasions," she continued. "It provided me with the realization that I can do whatever I want to do. I might have to adapt my mindset or the equipment, or adapt the way I used to do it, but instead of living in the past when I used to play hockey standing up, I don't worry about the past anymore. I focus on how I can change things so I can still achieve my dreams. Sled hockey provided me that opportunity.
"When you get on the ice and you're in the sled, all the disability stuff goes away. You're no longer a disabled athlete. You're no longer confined to a wheelchair and trying to navigate everyday life. You are a hockey player."

The only problem was, at the time, there was no sled hockey club in her San Diego hometown. But rather that wallow in that disappointment, Bettencourt did something that surprised absolutely no one who knows her - she took matters into her own hands.
Bettencourt dialed up the Ducks front office with a simple message: I want to start a sled hockey affiliate, and here's what I need. To her delight, the Ducks were on board, and with the club's support the team quickly took off.
"If you want something, then make it happen," Bettencourt beamed. "I loved my first sled hockey clinic and when I came back to San Diego, I wanted to continue with a program here and just made it happen. I went to the Anaheim Ducks and said, 'I want to be your sled affiliate. May I use your name, and can we create a partnership?'
"It shows the generosity and inclusiveness of the Ducks organization that they, without question, said yes. At the time, they didn't totally understand what I meant by sled hockey and what the vision was, but they said yes and we were able to get it started."
In the seven years since, the group has grown from three skaters to two full teams competing at the youth and adult levels. They practice together once a week - Saturdays at 6 a.m. - and compete in several annual tournaments.
Bettencourt, who in addition to her playing duties now also serves as the Director of Hockey Operations and the Adult Team Manager, oversees everything off the ice. She arranges special travel accommodations for players facing unique circumstances, booking rental cars, flights and hotels. She coordinates getting the gear to and from tournaments and finds ways to fundraise the costs.

And, despite all the moving parts and logistical challenges, she loves every single minute of it.
"If you have something great, you will attract great people," Bettencourt said. "Our culture is about so much more than playing hockey. We are truly a family…Yes, we're a hockey team, but we are also a family.
"You're building something that's making a visible difference. You can see it. You can touch it."
While Bettencourt leads the way off the ice, the bench belongs to head coach and adaptive sport specialist Nick Hurd, who Bettencourt calls "an amazing coach but a better person."
Hurd, an able-bodied person himself, works as a Recreation Specialist for the City of San Diego primarily focusing on creating opportunities for adaptive athletes.
An East Coast native who moved west about a decade ago, Hurd echoed Bettencourt in saying the program gave him a sense of purpose and also made him feel back at home in furthering the growth of the sport he loves.
"Sarah is the foundation of what we do and she's somebody that I look up to," Hurd said. "I just want to push their stories out and let them be heard. I'm an advocate for them and I'm trying to bring as much awareness as I can to what they do."
He adds with a chuckle, "I feel like I'm a massive cheerleader for them."
Despite his humility, Hurd's job is in many ways like a conventional coach. He develops practice plans, works with players on individual skill growth and manages in-game lineups. But the role also poses unique challenges, most notably a wide gap of skillsets ranging from United States National Development Team players to those entirely new to the sport and their medical circumstances.
"It's about trying to build an entire team," Hurd said. "For some, you're teaching the basics of skating. Then, for somebody else, you're teaching a high-level caliber skill.
"It's tough at times, simplifying things and trying to teach all sides, but this group loves learning about hockey. They're passionate about hockey and being able to transpire those skills to adaptive athletes keeps me going through it."
"He's an incredible coach and we are so lucky he found us," Bettencourt said. "Not only is he an amazing coach, but he understands adaptive athletes. He gets that all of us want to be that star athlete, but our bodies sometimes don't let us. He understands that, and he's still able to design workouts, drills and off-ice training that meets our needs and allows us to push ourselves to be the best we can...If we didn't have him, our team and program wouldn't be what it is because has an amazing balance.
"He knows what we need each other as much as we need hockey."
In preparation for the Sled Classic tournament, Bettencourt, Hurd and Co. joined the NHL's Ducks at practice last week, doing drills, swapping stories and talking shop with the players they watch at Honda Center and on TV.
The highlight of the afternoon was a valiant effort by veteran Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler, who swapped his skates for a sled and tried his hand at a unique twist on an activity that's become second-nature to those in the sport.

"We were so happy that he got in the sled, because it's so much harder than people realize," Bettencourt said. "For that kind of athlete to get in the sled and realize, Wow this is hard, it's incredible. We were so thankful.
"It takes a great leader and a great athlete to humble themselves enough to try something new. When you try something new, you're not going to be the best. You're not going to get it right the first time. It takes a great person to do that. Cam proved that's who he is. He is just a great person."
Fowler was quick to add with a hearty laugh, while he gained a speedy, immense respect for the adaptive athletes who have perfected the craft, he'll stick to his customary boots on the ice.
"He was so willing to do it and the support the guys gave him was really cool to watch," Bettencourt said. "They were asking if him if it was hard and Cam says, 'Yeah this is terribly hard,' and then he fell to the side. The players were like, 'Oh wow, this does look hard!'"
The skate wrapped up when both teams huddled at center ice. Hurd and Bettencourt spoke of the honor to represent the Ducks, and the thrill of joining them at practice. They thanked their new friends for the warm welcome, a thunderous applause of stick taps when they got on the ice.
But for head coach Dallas Eakins, it was important to make one distinct correction of Bettencourt and Hurd: The Anaheim Ducks represent you, not the other way around, and they are damn proud to do it.
"I'm going to try not to tear up right now, because their resilience and how hard they have to work at their game is amazing," Eakins said after practice. "It's amazing how upbeat they are through the challenges they have. It was such an honor to have them out there.
"Sarah spoke about how they represent us, but I think we should represent them. They're a special group of people...We're all one here. That logo on that jersey means a lot to us, but I wanted to make sure they knew that they are part of us."
The comments from an NHL head coach were another example of the family atmosphere the Ducks and Sled Ducks share, Bettencourt noted.

"We are a Ducks family. We represent the Ducks and we are here for the entire Ducks community. For Dallas to say that in front of everyone shows the Anaheim Ducks culture," she said. "The Ducks have always been supportive but the last few weeks has just been incredible to see the passion everyone has for this. It shows what the Ducks stand for and how focused they are on this community and ensuring that they provide hockey opportunities for everybody. We are so thankful for all the hard work...It truly makes our players feel part of the Anaheim Ducks, feel wanted and appreciated and really feel part of something that's bigger than themselves."
Eakins said Bettencourt herself lives that culture every day, and he came away from the skate quite impressed with her mentality towards their passion they share.

"That kid is shot out of a cannon," Eakins said. "Extremely engaging, super verbal and the biggest smile I've seen on a hockey player's face in a long time. Everything she does on that ice is with passion and a lot of fun. She's a beacon of light for that team."
The Sled Ducks then went 2-1 over the weekend at Great Park Ice, coming short of their championship goal but still enjoying a great weekend showing off their home digs to 23 teams representing 16 NHL clubs.
The team now turns its sights towards three upcoming tournaments, culminating with the big one, the Disabled Hockey Festival in St. Louis.
"That's the goal," Bettencourt said with a determined grin. "We want to come home with that championship banner."