Meet SNAP Sports Inc. | Special Needs Athletes and Peers; Adaptive and Developmental Sports Programs

We had the good fortune of connecting with SNAP Sports Inc. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi SNAP, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
In the amazingly diverse world of special needs, it is so important to find connection and community. Many families can feel limited, isolated and/or discouraged when trying to find places where they can come as they are an be fully accepted.
Our program provides individuals with physical and developmental disabilities the opportunity to engage in a variety of sports based activities with the intent to shatter the notion of limitations.
Our activities adapt to the needs of the individual so they can contribute and participate in physical activities, gain confidence and expand their knowledge and skills of a team sport through the support of experienced coaches and volunteers.
Many of the families also find an outlet where they can connect with other people in our program and have a space to share and feel understood.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
SNAP Sports provides individuals with physical and developmental disabilities the opportunity to engage in a variety of sports-based activities. SNAP stands for Special Needs Athletes and Peers.

Our athletes often shatter the notion of commonly held limitations by accepting the challenge of more complex competitive sports. 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.

SNAP Sports programs provide the opportunity for regular, rigorous physical activity, disciplined team behavior, and demonstrable moments of accomplishment. We encourage the use of peer athletes to accelerate this process, and the program welcomes all athletes with disabilities who wish to expand their knowledge and skills of a team sport through the support of experienced coaches and skilled peers.

SNAP Sports was founded in March 2012. It began with a group of coaches and special needs athletes who went to a hockey game and the athletes asked, “why can’t we play hockey?” And the coaches responded, “why can’t you?” And SNAP Hockey was formed!

In association with the Ice Station Valencia, now The Cube, SNAP Sports created a year-round Developmental Skating School and seasonal Ice Hockey program for special needs athletes.

In 2013, SNAP joined ASHA (American Special Hockey Association) as a sanctioned special needs hockey team.

Soon after SNAP Cougar Flag Football was in place. Along with the Cheer Club. In 2016, SNAP Roadrunners Distance Running Club was launched. Athletes complete in 5k events throughout the season.

Adaptive and Developmental Ice Skating is offered year-round. Hockey, Flag Football, Cheer, and Running are seasonal.

SNAP Sports is 501(c)3 non-profit, 100% volunteer-only organization. Without the help of our generous donors and benefactors, a dynamic sports program such as this would be financially impractical for most of our participants who are reliant solely on SSI benefits. Throughout the year, we conduct several small fundraising initiatives that support the ongoing efforts and costs it takes to run this program at low or no cost to the athletes.

Nothing is completely smooth, but the heart of the coaches, volunteers, athletes, and families keep this program alive. One of our main struggles recently was when The Ice Station skating rink was going to shut down in 2019. Without a rink, we would have lost the core of our program.

There was a major effort by our community to save the rink. And the City of Santa Clarita came to the rescue. Now we call The Cube our home base.

We are a nonprofit sports program that provides developmental and adaptive sports programs for individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities. We have athletes from ages 5 to 65. Other than a low-cost fee for the hockey program, our programs are free to the athletes.

We fill an unmet need in our community that engages athletes with peers in the community.

We are so grateful to see how our program can boost the confidence and health of our athletes and their families. Our skating program provides a space for not only the special needs athletes to skate, but also their family. In many cases, it’s the only place where the entire family can participate in something together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Santa Clarita is our home base. It is most commonly known to be the home of Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor. Many people come to experience the fun of those amusement parks.
We also have the William S Hart Museum in Old Town Newhall which is next to Main Street where you can find all kinds of shops, breweries and wineries and unique restaurants.
There is the Placerita Nature Center, Vasquez Rocks along with many parks and hiking trails, MB2 Entertainment, Castaic Lake. On Saturdays in the summer we have the summer concert series at Central Park featuring all kinds of great music.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who make a non-profit like this successful.

We would like to thank all of the Board Members who work to keep this program fun and engaging and moving forward. This board is made of up of volunteers with a passion to see this program make a difference in our community.

We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the generosity of our donors and sponsors. Their contribution of time, space and financial support ensures we are able to provide activities for our athletes and families at little to low cost.

We are beyond grateful for our coaches and volunteers who take the time out of their lives to be there for the athletes and the families. Their guidance and kindness works wonders.

And we have to thank our SNAP family! The parents, siblings, aides and all those mentioned above make this program successful.

Website: https://www.snaphockey.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snapsportsinc?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snaphockey?mibextid=LQQJ4d