The East Coast Jumbos is a remarkable hockey team that has been around for nearly 14 years, with players ranging in age from 6 to 35 years old, who have a wide range of disabilities varying from high functioning autism, Aspergers, and Down syndrome. Despite their differences, they’ve grown to be dedicated teammates to one another and more than just a team of players but a family. The Jumbos aren’t only concerned with hockey but also focus on helping players grow and learn. The Jumbos work to instill confidence among their players, improve communication skills, and make sure they don’t forget about the important social aspects of being a part of a team, such as developing friendships and making connections inside and outside of the hockey environment.

Ray LeBlanc is the coach of the Jumbos who started it all. LeBlanc established the Jumbos after realizing that while some of his sons could play hockey, his son with Autism was being dragged to their games, unable to play. LeBlanc enlisted the help of his friend Jim Perry, whose son was also on the team, to help develop the East Coast Jumbos, with the goal of providing a team for his son to play on and many others with developmental disabilities who are unable to play hockey. “I was always coaching my other son’s hockey, but my oldest boy Shane who is Autistic never had a place to go except for pond hockey, and I said, ‘you know this is kind of crazy that we don’t have a place for him to play.’ I decided to look and poke around and ask some people what I needed to do and we started off the first year with four kids and now we’re almost close to 50.” The East Coast Jumbos have come a long way since then, but thanks to a lot of help, they’re now off to the races. Since then, their goal has been to provide a positive athletic experience for athletes with Autism and other developmental disabilities who want to play the great sport of ice hockey. 

Although  Leblanc is the head coach of the Jumbos, he has many other people who he says he is “fortunate to have” including Coach McGuire, several high school coaches who have helped out throughout the years, many parents who are involved in the program, and even people who don’t have their kids involved. He says his role as a coach is practice planning and really just utilizing all the help that he has. “I do a lot, but I mainly coordinate everybody else and let them do their jobs and everyone seems to be doing a great job and things are going good. I am very lucky,” says LeBlanc. One of the biggest strengths of the program, according to LeBlanc, is the coaching staff, who help the Jumbos tremendously as well as the Waltham hockey team who are a big helping hand in the program. 

Carlo Attardo, a Waltham hockey player, helps his partner Corey Graziosi during games and practices as a volunteer for the Jumbos. When Graziosi joined the Jumbos, Attardo wanted to join so he could help him on the ice because he isn’t a very experienced skater. It’s their first year with the Jumbos, and it’s been a positive one so far. Attardo voiced his experience saying, “Coach MaGuire has the Waltham hockey boys help out and volunteer, he’s very supportive and he’s always at the games cheering on the team, I like helping out, it’s a great experience and the kids love it.” During practice, the team starts by warming up for ten minutes before going on to simple line drills, which mainly consist of passing the puck back and forth. However, the Jumbos never forget to have fun, so they usually warm up with games like Duck, Duck, Goose as well. 

The games are something the Jumbos look forward to. For most games, there are two groups consisting of the more mature players and those who need more help, which is when the buddies join them on the ice during the games to help. For the players, the games are a fantastic experience. The coaches are extremely encouraging, and in the locker rooms prior to games, they help them get ready, ensuring that they are all aware of their positions, and boosting their morale. “I always have fun during the games. Many people love coming to watch them and the kids always have a blast playing,” says Attardo. 

One thing you should never doubt is their commitment. The Jumbos, like any other team, continue to practice and compete in tournaments showing extreme dedication and perseverance on the ice. The only requirement for joining the Jumbos, Coach Ray says, is that you have to have fun when you’re playing hockey.

For more information visit https://eastcoastjumbos.com/  or contact Ray LeBlanc at [email protected]