Sports program in Baltimore trains Paralympians for competition

Now that the Winter Olympics are over, the excitement shifts to the Paralympics, which kicks off on March 6. 

Paralympians in training 

There are many future and current Paralympians who train in Baltimore, and Kennedy Krieger Institute's Bennett Blazers adaptive sports program follows one rule: "Teach children they can before they're told they cannot."

Because when it's game time, especially on the ice, it's about being the best athlete they can be. 

David Hoff, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team led Team USA to gold at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. He understands what it takes to become a Paralympian. 

"For a long time, sled hockey was relatively new so you're trying to find the best that were out there and there wasn't maybe a path to get from A to B and now there really is if you look at it. So it starts with local associations going out and recruiting kids," Hoff said. 

Once a Bennett Blazer, always a Bennett Blazer

The Blazers have helped develop world-renowned athletes such as Tatyana McFadden, Daniel Romanchuk, and Noah Grove. 

"Noah grove who is on the U.S. Paralympics Sled Hockey team, started here, and he did cycling, triathlon, basketball, swimming, but found that sled hockey was his passion," said Gerry Herman, the co-director and a coach with the Bennett Blazers.

"Noah scored, and scored a lot, and it was like you know what. It's time for this kid to get the chance to at least try out for the national team," Hoff said. 

Herman believes the Blazers act as the foundation for many of their young athletes, but they also show other people how Paralympic athletes train with the same intensity and dedication as Olympians. 

"When they come here, they've often faced a gamut of professionals telling them everything that their child can't do, and when they get here, we tell them all the things that they can do, and watch them grow and expand," Herman said.

Their dedication also sparks a broader conversation about accessibility, inclusion, and equity, showcasing the power of sports all while and introducing people to adaptive sports programs in the region.

"These are athletes - just like they are in any sport that we watch on tv, that have at some point hit a little bit of adversity and been told no," Hoff said. "But different from a lot of humans, they've fought through it believing that they can get to the other side and still make it."

Not only do the Blazers learn the sport, but the athletes also develop teamwork, innovation, and more. 

"I think when you look at the number of players we have as a country compared to other countries in the world, what our local associations are doing is amazing," Hoff said. "Just the fact that they're out there constantly recruiting trying to provide a good opportunity." 

The 2026 Paralympics runs from March 6 through March 15.