If people only take away one example from Joey Moss' life it should be that people are capable of extraordinary things if they are just given a chance.
That is what Mark Vriend told the Barrhead Leader. We reached out to Vriend after a TV crew from CTV Edmonton visited Barrhead on Oct. 27 to interview him and his son Eric about Joey Moss and the importance of inclusion.
Moss, who was born with Down syndrome was the Edmonton Oilers popular dressing room attendant and a staple of the team for decades, he passed away last week at 57. In the hockey off-season, he also worked for the Edmonton Eskimos.
CTV reached out to Vriend to talk about his son Eric because his life, in many ways mirrors that of Moss. Like Moss, Eric was born with Down syndrome and was taken under his wing by an athletic star and brought into the fold of a popular Edmonton sports team. In Moss' case, it was Wayne Gretzky, who lobbied Oiler general manager and coach Glen Sather to allow Joey to work for the team as a dressing room attendant. Gretzky met Joey through his sister Vikki, who he was dating.
In Eric's case, it was his younger brother, Max, a star volleyball player who had been recruited to play for MacEwan University Men's Griffins.
"When he was recruited, Max told them that the Vriend boys come as a set," Vriend said.
Max is now in Germany playing professional volleyball, however, Eric in addition to working at his gym (Eric's Gym) is still a fixture on the Griffin's bench and in the dressing room.
"The university volleyball community is a very tight group," he said. "Eric, just like Joey was, is well known and respected in that world."
The reason why CTV wanted to talk to Vriend is about the importance of inclusion. And although that is true, Vriend said not a lot of people understand what it truly means.
"Inclusion is a mindset. People need to stop being so self-centric and be so quick to discount people," Vriend said. "It is about lifting people up and giving them an opportunity. People with disabilities don't want charity. They want and need is someone to take some time with them, give them an opportunity and let them show people what they can do."
He added that is what is so special about Gretzky, noting when he met Joey, he was only 19 years old, a hockey superstar, yet he recognized that Moss had something special to contribute and he lobbied for his coach to give him an opportunity. How many people that age have that kind of insight and maturity?
"Look what happened. They gave a young man with Down syndrome an opportunity and because of that he has been able to impact countless of people's lives," Vriend said. "To see a person like Joey that has Down syndrome achieve what he did gives people hope. And we have had parents come to us and say how well Eric is doing with the gym and that it gives them hope for their child."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
