Eden Prairie Girls' Hockey Team Equipment Manager Also Biggest Fan
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (WCCO) -- The Eden Prairie girls' hockey team is back as defending state champions. One player has a brother who participates on the team in his own way, and makes a major impact.
Becca Kniss is a key part of Eden Prairie's team, as they try to repeat their state title.
"We're a pretty fast team," she said. "We've got a lot more skill than last year, but last year's team, we really were like a family."
Family is where the story gets interesting. Becca's biggest fan is a part of the team, and her older brother. He was born with Down syndrome, and he's the team's equipment manager.
"We had Ryan, and I think I was 25 years old, and it was a big surprise for us -- big learning curve," their father Steve said. "But because of the stability that Angie brought to us, we've tackled that and he's been a joy. We wouldn't trade him for anything in the world."
Ryan is nonverbal, but he can still communicate. He handles the laundry duties for the team, bringing the jerseys home and washing each one. That makes him a precious part of the team. His family has taught him a lot.
"He has gotten me involved in a lot of things that I wouldn't have before," Ryan's sister Rachel said. "It really is special because you get to meet a lot of special kids like him."
Then he attends the games as a manager, a brother and a big fan.
"Ryan kind of brings that special love and joy to everyone there, giving high fives to the team," his mother Angie said. "Especially when they score, he's the first one to stand up and cheer."
He has ownership in the team, and the family recognizes what the whole hockey experience means to their only son.
"It's pretty special because it gives him something to do. It gives him some self-worth, a task that he's just genuinely good at," Steve said. "He does our laundry at home. He can do the girls' laundry and he gets up and looks forward to that."
The girls are always on the ice to play hockey, but they're also there for Ryan.
"He means a lot to us," Becca said. "He helps us out and makes our jerseys smell nice and clean, so we love it."
It's funny how many ways there are to connect to a team, to a family, to build self esteem by being a part of something.
"Any mother wishes their kids had a really close bond, and I'm just glad that both of them do have that," Angie said. "Either sport that my girls are in, I think he just brings that warmness to the girls, and the closeness that they have is a lot of fun to see."
The team has adopted him as one of them, and his sister is there for her brother. The family says those bonds matter, a lot.
This time of year, as families reflect, when the Kniss family looks at life there's one word that comes to mind.
"I have a lot to be thankful for," Angie said.
The Eden Prairie Eagles are 9-2 and host a tournament next week.