Peewee hockey goalie swats away adversity

He dreams, like all young hockey players, of one day hoisting the Stanley Cup high above his head.

To reach that goal, 11-year-old Nicholas Almeida will have to overcome a few things others will not.

Almeida plays goalie for the Gulf Coast Flames, a travel ice hockey club that takes players from both Manatee and Sarasota counties, at the Peewee AA level. The team plays its games at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex. Up until this season when someone else picked it, Almeida wore jersey number 30 in tribute to his favorite hockey player, Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers.

He sometimes practices with the Bantam-level team, full of kids two or three years older than Almeida. His father, Tyler Almeida, said his son would rather cut off his own arm than stop playing hockey. When he’s on his game, he’s a king in net, just like his hero.

Unfortunately, It’s hard for Almeida to be on his game all the time.

Almeida has severe attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia. He attends Sea of Strengths Academy on International Place in East County, a school for students with learning disabilities and speech-language disorders. The ADHD, especially, makes it difficult for Almeida to concentrate while playing sports.

Sea of Strengths Academy has been very supportive of Almeida’s hockey efforts. He has to play in out-of-state tournaments on weekdays, but the school understands. It’s even gone as far as stopping classroom activity so the other students can watch Almeida’s games online.

His ADHD makes it difficult for Almeida to concentrate while on the ice, but he’s getting better. His trick? Pretend the puck is a fly.

Let me explain. Almeida’s ADHD used to be so bad that if a fly flew into a classroom while he was taking a test, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything but the fly. Once, his teacher had to cancel a test outright because Almeida couldn’t stop asking questions about the fly.

Thankfully, Almeida is great at turning negative experiences into positive ones. He's learned to manage his disorder. He channels the memory of that fly when in net, and pictures it instead as the puck. It helps him focus.

Tyler Almeida also has ADHD. He will not let his son use the disorder as a crutch.

“It’s not an excuse,” Tyler Almeida said. “He’s going to have it his whole life. You learn to deal with it and then you go on.”

Nicholas Almeida has gone on. When he first started playing goalie at about 6 years old, he was understandably afraid of getting hit in the mask with a puck. He would duck down to avoid shots instead of stopping them. To combat this fear, he’s been working with local goalie coach George Lamarre. Almeida credits him with everything he’s learned as a goalie. He has cured his fear of getting hit in the mask by a shot and also has built up his strength.

Almeida’s played other sports like baseball in the past, but he’s found a home in hockey. He compares stepping out onto the ice to stepping out onto a cloud. When Almeida moves, he doesn’t skate, he floats. The ice is his happy place, and he never wants to leave.

“I’ve come so far in hockey,” Almeida said. “I really wouldn’t do anything else.”

Almeida’s story is another great tale of perseverance. He refuses to be held down by the weights the universe has thrust upon him. His fight is inspiring. I hope he someday raises the Cup, and although that’s a tall task, I wouldn’t put it past him.

Nothing gets past him when he’s focused.