Bethel Park hockey players continue annual skating tradition
You never know what’s going to happen on the ice.
When 2014 Bethel Park High School graduate Jake Worcester was on the varsity hockey team, he participated in the players’ long-standing annual skating activity with special-needs students. As a sophomore, he happened to be paired with a young man named Hunter.
“We skated around. We had a good time. We talked a lot about his interests, like Spider-Man and Marvel,” Worcester recalled. “I didn’t really think that anything consequential was going to happen afterward, just having fun.”
It turned out that he had made quite the impression on Hunter.
“He went home and told his family about what a good day he had and how much fun he had, and he mentioned it to his sister,” Worcester said. “Eventually, he came home with a picture that we had taken. She recognized me, so she just reached out to say thank you.
“Through that, we got to talking and started to get to know each other,” he continued. “Eventually, one thing led to another and we started dating. And here we are, eight years later.”
He and Hunter’s sister, Rachel Rousseau, are engaged to be married.
In February, Worcester visited the ice rink at the Spencer Family YMCA for the 2020 edition of the skating program, which for two decades now has represented a collaboration between Linda Graney, adaptive physical education teacher at Washington Elementary and Neil Armstrong Middle schools, and Jim McVay, the hockey team’s head coach.
Worcester, who earned a degree in industrial engineering at Penn State and is in the management training program with Niagara Bottling LLC, has fond memories of his participation.
“This was always one of the highlights of the year, every year, as I went through high school,” he said.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
This year represented a particular highlight for sophomore hockey player Luke Lawton, who had the honor of skating with his brother Nathan, a Neil Armstrong sixth-grader.
“Nathan has been doing it since he was in kindergarten at Washington. Then when Luke got on the varsity team, I think that was the first thing I thought of, ‘Oh, my gosh. He can skate with his brother,'” their mother, Lori, said. “It’s such a fun event. It really is. And I know that they’ve both been looking forward to it.”
Her husband, Jeff, spoke highly of the high school hockey program.
“The head coach does a great job getting the kids involved, not only in this, but a lot of community service,” he said. “And it’s really great for them. It makes them appreciate what they have.”
Harry Funk/The Almanac