Go to a concert and just about every artist has opening acts that are trying to grow their name. The same thing can be said for The Pittsburgh Warriors.
The Warriors are part of USA Warriors Ice Hockey, a non-profit hockey organization committed to improving the physical, emotional, and social well-being of wounded, injured, and disabled U.S. military veterans through the sport of hockey. The organization was founded in 2008 in the Washington, DC metro area by a small group of wounded, injured, and disabled veterans who believed hockey could be more than a game. From those early practices in DC, USA Warriors grew into a formally organized organization dedicated to serving veterans with the motto of healing through hockey.
The Pittsburgh Warriors played a showcase game at the Robert Morris University’s Clearview Arena on Friday, January 23. The Warriors were the opening act for the RMU Hockey team before the Colonials game against Holy Cross. The Warriors got to play before the RMU game and was also recognized during the 1st intermission of the RMU game.
One of the member of the Pittsburgh Warriors is SAHS teacher Mr. Adam Rosenwald, who served in the United States Army as an Airborne Soldier for four years.
“The Airborne motto is ‘All the Way’. You train with a higher set of standards, live it, and prepare to die by it,” Mr. Rosenwald said. “After my four years of service, I learned you can leave the Airborne, however, being Airborne never leaves you.”
“I found hockey by making a conscious decision to pick up the phone one day and ask someone for help. It took a decade plus after getting home. The decision to pick up the phone and say ‘I don’t like the way I feel, I don’t want to feel the way I feel anymore,’ led to counseling and therapy. It was that decision that led to a year later that this is a resource and I had no ice hockey experience,” Mr. Rosenwald said.
The game of hockey serves as a therapeutic way for veterans to come together, and play even if they have no experience in the sport. Through weekly practices, every player will gain experience and practice, so they feel ready to pick up the stick and score some goals.
“The second I stepped on the ice, I had no thoughts. Once I got off I realized my mind has never felt so clear,” Mr. Rosenwald said.
The team consists of players who just started playing the sport all the way to those having played their entire lives. No matter the experience background, everyone welcomes one another. The brotherhood bond is already being established with everyone having one thing in common: the military.
“We all have the same similarities with our military experience, and already have a bond as soon as we meet each other,” 5x Defender’s Cup Champion, Zachary Tyler Raymond (“The ZTR”) said.
But even with similarities, everyone has his/her own story. Every player had to readjust to civilian life their own way, and live with the unforgettable. Everyone readjusted in their own way, whether that be getting used to everyday food, learning a new daily routine, or how to interact with people.
“When you’re in the military you worry about staying alive, when you come home you have to worry about bills, stresses, kids, everything,” Rob Hardin said.
Joining the organization wasn’t just for the love of the game, it was the biggest life-saver for many of the veterans. The most recent data from Department of Veterans Affairs showed that average number of daily veteran suicides was 17.5 in 2023.
“Hockey has been a life saver, in October I was in the depths of suicidal depression, at the time I had a gun in my house. I called a friend on the team and asked them to come get it,” Larissa Lichty said. “He came out that night and took that gun off of me. I was already in the process of getting help from the doctors, but just having somebody who cared was huge and pretty much life saving. Hockey has kept me going.”
The Warriors are more than veterans coming together to play Hockey, they are a family. They are each other’s biggest supporters. There is more to the game than keeping the players busy, it is many of their reasons to keep going.
“I had a lung transplant, so it was a good way to stay healthy and stay in shape,” Broc Kennedy said.
The Pittsburgh Warriors are looking to help any veteran. The general criteria is usually an honorable discharge and a service-connected disability. All equipment is donated, making hockey an affordable, accessible way for veterans of all ages to come play for themselves.
Any veteran interested can join by using social media to reach out to a current player, go to an event they will be at, use their website, or simply email the Pittsburgh Warriors.
“It’s not the growth of the program, it’s the growth of connections,” Mr. Rosenwald said.
