Team coaches and athletes hardly speak English, and have used McDonnell, a military translator stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, as their communication lifeline. The military gave McDonnell, who speaks Russian, a leave of absence to volunteer at the Special Olympics. On Monday, he translated directions from officials and carried their garbage bin of gear. They play as teammates, working together for overall success. Special Olympics floor hockey is an adaptation of ice hockey, without the skates, winged poles, hard pucks and inclement weather.
Athletes use sticks to push a felt disc around the rink.
As the team readied for a Monday morning match against Monaco, they helped each other dress. Even without uniforms the Special Olympics spirit was obvious. As the team passed the soft puck back and forth on field three, several people showed up holding Turkmenistan flags and posters. Chester Valley Elementary School and Elmendorf's Club Beyond, a youth group, adopted the country and will cheer for them throughout the Special Olympics. The athletes were much shorter and skinnier than most other teams.