The girls' side of the Learn to Play Program started in 2019 with only five rinks getting involved - and that was something that Boston Bruins Youth Hockey Coordinator Lizzy Viola wanted to help change. "In addition to the Bruins alumni, we have Kali Flanagan and Megan Keller, who our new female ambassadors who are out there doing the same thing." "So, they are out there at the local rinks, they are teaching kids how to hold a stick, how to stand up and really bring the Boston Bruins brand across New England. We have Rick Middleton, Andrew Raycroft, and Andrew Alberts who are out there making over 75 appearances each year," said Dargin. In collaboration with Learn to Play, the Alumni Give Back program has been a crucial partner in promoting hockey across New England, as Boston Bruins alumni and even some Olympic gold medalists from the United States Women's Hockey Team are among those to regularly assist with the on-ice clinics. And with so much growth over the past 10 years, thanks in large part to the buy in from the local community, Bruins Academy Learn to Play has built a platform that will only allow it to improve. "So, that'll be really exciting to start tracking the hockey paths of these players."īruins Academy Learn to Play, which is held in partnership with Pure Hockey, provides the participants - ages 5-9 -with a full set of equipment to keep (valued at $550 retail), a pair of skates, professional and personalized fitting, and four weeks of on-ice instruction led by certified coaches. "With the program entering its 10th season, we've had over 25,000 kids in the program and it's just only a matter of time until we see some of these first kids hopefully in the NHL or playing high level, competitive hockey," said Dargin. Almost 10 years later, the program is now one of the most diverse and instrumental youth hockey programs in the National Hockey League with 3,336 participants across 75 rinks in 2022.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |