Samuel Sosa has been wheelchair-bound his entire life.
Although many people think being wheelchair-bound can lead to a life with limitations, Sosa breaks those misconceptions with his passion for hockey.
“Hockey all the way … [I like] the action,” he said, adding his favorite position to play is center.
Sosa, like many other individuals with disabilities, and with the help of Special Needs Athletes and Peers (SNAP Sports), continues to break barriers and participate in a variety of sport-based activities.
SNAP Sports is a nonprofit organization that provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate in numerous sports activities. “Players gain confidence and poise while becoming better equipped to manage their individual disabilities. Athletes who participate regularly, routinely develop the essential physical and social skills needed to improve their everyday lives,” states the organization’s website.
Last weekend the organization held its Southern California Special Hockey Festival at The Cube – Ice and Entertainment Center and played a total of nine games throughout the weekend. On Sunday the Los Angeles Kings Ice Crew and Mascot Bailey were in attendance to celebrate the special event with the athletes.
Sosa has been a part of the organization for six years and it has helped him learn to “stay positive and try to look at life in a positive way instead of negatively,” he said.
Throughout the weekend participants in the program tested their limits and had a friendly competition for their friends, family, and other guests to witness at the rink.
SNAP Sports’ vision is “to better serve the special needs population through inclusive and adaptive sports programs. Ultimately SNAP Sports, through a variety of sports-based activities, is seeking to develop highly valued members of the community, engaged in a positive way, regardless of their individual disability,” the website states.
Santa Clarita Mayor Pro Tem Bill Miranda was in attendance supporting the local organization and its efforts.
“I love what they do for our special needs community. Many of these kids and young people didn’t think they could do anything, and all of a sudden they realized that they can,” he said. “The benefit those kids get from this organization and from the activities that it provides are invaluable to their upbringing and their ability to survive in our society.”
