We couldn’t do it without them!
RESCHEDULED
Due to Hurricane Helene, we have rescheduled our Tim’s Kids Charity Golf Tournament for Sunday, November 17th. The time and location is all the same. I will reopen the platform in an effort to get two more foursomes and have extra Lunch tickets and Mulligan options available for presale. I kindly ask all the team captains to reply to me directly that you got this email and confirm if this date will work for you. And please communicate to your team the change. Naturally if you need to make changes in your teams roster its not a problem. Simply submit those changes to me by November 15th. We sincerely thank you all for your support and understanding and are we looking forward to a fun event with MUCH better weather conditions.
How It All Began
Tim’s Kids Special Hockey Team is the Space Coast SuperCanes. The participants have a range of disabilities such as autism, Down Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, and intellectual disability. The Fuse is our special needs sled hockey team. The program is open to players with physical disabilities such as spina bifida, amputation, cerebral palsy, and accident-related injury.
Tim’s Kids Special Hockey seeks to provide the opportunity for Floridians with cognitive disabilities to play ice hockey. The mission of Tim’s Kid’s Special Hockey is breaking down barriers to Ice Hockey for disabled youth and adults in Central, Florida. Established organization in 2007 (and a 501(c)(3) since 2009), Tim’s Kids Special offers cognitively disabled youth and adults the opportunity to play ice and sled hockey at the Space Coast Ice Plex in Rockledge, Florida.
The goal of Tim’s Kids is simply to provide the opportunity to play ice hockey to those with cognitive disabilities. It is widely recognized that the cost of equipment and ice time is a major deterrent to getting kids into sport, especially in the special needs community as well as in Florida with the absence of frozen ponds. Tim’s Kids eliminates that issue by providing equipment, ice time, coaching, and volunteer support to make ice and sled hockey possible to the disabled community.
Tim’s Kids impact is derived from the number of participants and volunteers, and the number of athletes retained from year to year. Tim’s Kids provides all equipment and ice time at no cost to participants. We enrich the lives of those with developmental and cognitive disabilities through increasing their development and self-confidence on and off the ice by Having Fun, Learning Teamwork, Gaining Friendships and Increased Physical Activity.
Our team uses the name Space Coast Supercanes and wears the colors of red, black, and white. The name and the colors maintain our connection to the history of youth hockey in Brevard, where the youth hockey teams have been referred to as the Space Coast Hurricanes over the past decade or so. The Space Coast Hurricanes adopted the colors of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, thus the black, white, and red. The Supercanes crest uses the Tim’s Kids star with crossed hockey sticks designed by Tim’s son Nick at the inception of our organization back in 2007. The red star of Tim’s Kids is modified for the Space Coast Supercanes by embedding the Superman “S” within the star.
Funding directly supports all aspects of activities and programming. The number of athletes served is limited by the number of athletes that can be equipped and the ability to fund ice time and travel to tournaments as well. The kids outgrow their equipment are they grow, so there are yearly equipment requirements for youth participants. Expansion of core activities would include traveling to tournaments supported by team funds.
The gift of time is often the most precious. If you want to be involved in a rewarding activity with proven benefits, we want to meet you!
We are always in need of equipment. If you have gear you aren’t using, it would have an enormous impact on our team’s scope.
If you can’t help in any other way, we would appreciate you helping to share our mission with your friends and associates. We need exposure!
Our Founders
Our success depends on the strength of our team. Without these key visionaries, Tim’s Kids would simply never have happened.
Hockey fan and community activist who was determined to see children in sunny Florida learn to love a game played on ice as much as he did. Before losing his battle with pancreatic cancer in 2007, Tim directed that a portion of his estate be used to make the sport more accessible to more kids.
Founder
Susan Szymula, Tim Szymula widow and Tim’s Kids founding member worked tirelessly to bring Tim’s Kids Inc. to life and sustain it until her recent passing. We cannot thank her enough for all she did.
Founding member
Tyler was a teacher and led by example. Tyler was not afraid. He was not afraid to show love most importantly. He was not afraid to laugh even at himself and be happy at all times. He was not afraid to perform on the ice, in the gym, and for his teachers. He is not afraid to be in heaven now. We know he is waiting and will be happy to open the doors with the Lord when it is our turn to join him.
Athlete • Teacher • Friend
– Former President of Tim’s Kids Board of Directors
– Founding member of Tim’s Kids
– Tim’s Kids Coach since 2007
– President Integrated Performance Manager Deep Space Logistics Project National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Coach Emeritus
– Former Vice President of Tim’s Kids Board of Directors
– Tim Symula’s son
– Youth Hockey Director at Community First Igloo
– Manager of Hockey Development at Nashville Predators
Coach Emeritus
• We provide an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to play organized hockey.
• Winning defined as accomplishing our mission rather than scores.
• Be clear and consistent with all skaters in our program.
• Treat all players with compassion and respect regardless of their economic or cognitive ability.
• Families and friends of Tim’s Kids skaters are encouraged to participate in our programs and events.
• Every skater is valued the same with respect to playing time.
• We do not have paid coaches or staff. Tim’s Kid’s is completely supported through volunteer effort in our community.
— Space Coast SuperCanes —
Our Priceless Team
Developmentally and physically disabled youth and adults are typically not encouraged or able to be supported in neurotypical sports leagues and teams because those programs lack the resources, knowledge, volunteers, and role models and or equipment to facilitate inclusion. Tim’s Kids offers a unique program in the community where potential athletes can safely participate to the extent of their abilities with the training, support, and understanding unparalleled in the community. For many of the athletes, this is the only opportunity they will ever get to belong to a team or play a sport. Funding provides ice time, gear for athletes, as well as replacement gear for athletes as they grow. The team models inclusion for the athletes and the community as well as the special needs community. It fosters inclusion and participation of physically and mentally different abled children and adults.
Some of The Cool Facts About Us
Our vision is simply to make organized ice hockey available to Floridians with cognitive disability regardless of age or innate ability.
Keep In Touch
to send a check:
Tim’s Kids Inc.
PO Box 560065
Rockledge, FL 32956-0065
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Registration #CH28695 – A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services
by calling toll free (800) 435-7352 within the State. Registration does
not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the State.