BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
They are multi-talented, believe in each other and most of all, are up for the challenge.
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Sudbury Tornadoes members include back row (L-R) Gary Thompson, Jason Roy, Larry Roy, Mark Sancoucy and Joe Milani. Front row (L-R) are Patricia Leonard, Lisa Fragomele, Edward Woitowich, Amy McLeod and Rosie Falvo. |
The Sudbury Tornadoes are the city?s travelling Special Olympics floor hockey team. The team is made of men and women of all ages and they all come from strong athletic backgrounds.
The Tornadoes are travelling to Ottawa this weekend to participate in the Ontario Special Olympics 2003 Provincial Floor Hockey Championships. They will compete in the ?C? division.
?This team is the only team in the ?C? division at provincials that doesn?t play in a league,? said coach Brian Mitchell. ?We have to travel out of the area to play all our qualifying games.?
The Tornadoes will face ?C? division league champions from Chatham, Hamilton, Brampton, Belleville, Mississauga, Thunder Bay and Newmarket in the quest for provincial gold.
To get to the provincials, the team had to participate in an invitational tournament in Mississauga. It was used as their regional qualifier.
?This team has practised hard and they deserve to be in Ottawa,? said Mitchell.
Without an actual league to play in, the Tornadoes hone their skills by constantly practising and playing their fathers in scrimmage games.
?The fathers used to whip their butts 10-1, but now it?s the other way around,? said Mitchell. ?Some of the girls on this team can kick some guys? butts.?
The Tornadoes are the defending provincial ?C? champions, having won gold in 2000.
?It?s an honour to go to provincials,? said player Jason Roy, 27. ?This is my third time going to provincials.?
Roy also has competed in snowshoeing and track and field.
The Tornadoes begin play today and will face stiff competition all weekend.
Larry Roy, 32 is playing in his second provincial floor hockey championships and was between the pipes for the 2000 gold medal winning team.
?It?s very exciting because at provincials we get to play different teams and meet new people,? said Roy. ?I will be the backup goalie if something happens.?
Roy, no relation to Jason Roy, has been playing floor hockey for five years and had to overcome a serious injury to get where he is today.
?I missed all of 1997 because I was hit by a car and broke my hip,? said Roy. ?I went through therapy and found out I was a strong healer.?
Roy has also participated in snowshoeing, track and field, soccer and five-pin bowling.
The coach knows winning gold and repeating as provincial champions is not going to be an easy task.
?They will face stiff competition in Ottawa,? said Mitchell. ?They will have a good time and play their hearts out.?
The team practises two hours every week.
?Each one of them has a tremendous amount of skill,? said Mitchell. ?They really gel well together.?
This is Mitchell?s sixth year at the helm and he couldn?t imagine doing anything else.
?I used to coach houseleague hockey and I would do this any day over coaching hockey,? said
Mitchell. ?They never ask anything of you and I don?t have to ask them to give 100 per cent because
they just go out and do it.?
Rosie Falvo, 30 has been playing floor hockey for six years.
?It?s a cool game and I like winning.?
Falvo has also competed in soccer, snowshoeing, track and field, bowling and swimming.
?Going to provincials is a great time.?
Repeating as champions will be a difficult task, but winning isn?t everything at the Special Olympics.
?Winning isn?t the main focus,? said Mitchell. ?It was neat to win in 2000 because it was just like winning the Stanley Cup. They walked around with the trophy and I got soaked.?
