CBJ fever drives young kids to learn to play hockey

[doniceage]

COLUMBUS (WCMH) -- Hockey rinks around the city are packed with kids wanting to be just like their favorite hockey team, The Columbus Blue Jackets.

Four-year-old Cooper Smith and five-year-old Mason Roehrenbesk come to The Chiller Ice Rink near Easton on Thursdays to learn how to play hockey.

Mason says he's not sure how he got into playing hockey, but is mom Megan Roehrenbesk says the story goes a little something like this.
http://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news...key/1130582256

[camsue]

This is great to see

[Crosscheck]

Great to see, I love seeing kids get into youth hockey. The video would not load for me because of where I’m sitting in the house at the moment and I’m in too much pain to leave the recliner. That being said The Learn to Play program is fantastic. I’m glad to see kids across the US & Canada take advantage and start playing hockey. My daughter just finished the Dallas Stars version 2 weeks ago. The program is mostly the same for all 31 teams the equipment all comes out of the same NHL budget its is just managered, promoted and marketed by the different teams by geographic location. The program is super affordable and has many perks. Equipment, Former NHL players on the ice with the kids and 4 free Stars tickets other little gifts. Our youth hockey association is abandoning the current introductory hockey program we have had for years because Learn to Play is so much cheaper with better equipment. The NHL teams have better pull with paying the local rinks for ice fees than the one former NHL player who runs the other program here. I wish when my two oldest kids were getting in hockey Learn to Play was around. Thankfully it is for my younger two.

[doniceage]

Great to see, I love seeing kids get into youth hockey. The video would not load for me because of where I’m sitting in the house at the moment and I’m in too much pain to leave the recliner. That being said The Learn to Play program is fantastic. I’m glad to see kids across the US & Canada take advantage and start playing hockey. My daughter just finished the Dallas Stars version 2 weeks ago. The program is mostly the same for all 31 teams the equipment all comes out of the same NHL budget its is just managered, promoted and marketed by the different teams by geographic location. The program is super affordable and has many perks. Equipment, Former NHL players on the ice with the kids and 4 free Stars tickets other little gifts. Our youth hockey association is abandoning the current introductory hockey program we have had for years because Learn to Play is so much cheaper with better equipment. The NHL teams have better pull with paying the local rinks for ice fees than the one former NHL player who runs the other program here. I wish when my two oldest kids were getting in hockey Learn to Play was around. Thankfully it is for my younger two.

Thanks for sharing your personal experience with these programs.it nice to hear of a kid or kids that are benefiting from it.


Don

[Crosscheck]

Thanks for sharing your personal experience with these programs.it nice to hear of a kid or kids that are benefiting from it.


Don

your welcome, anytime I can help spread youth hockey I’ll do it. I encourage anyone who has a child or grandchild interested in hockey to explore Learn to Play programs

between the two Oklahoma City rink there was around 100 kids that participated in the March-April session. Usually Tulsa will have more than we will Tulsa believe it or not is a hot spot for
youth hockey. I talked to the guy who runs the program for the Stars and he said Amarillo had a large turn out things are going well there. I asked because I grew up near Amarillo and wished they had youth back in the late 80’s when I was growing up, that’s all I wanted to do was play hockey. The Stars cover Texas, Oklahoma & Arkansas markets I cant remember if they do New Mexico or not. That may be The Coyotes Lil Hower program territory. Any how at our board meeting this week I found out the Stars used 25% of the NHL’s Learn to Play program budget the Stars cover such a big area in markets that are desperate for quality hockey. The Blackhawks learn to play has taken off so well they having to build new rinks in Chicagoland to accommodate the deman.