Kids Score Big at Let's Learn Hockey Program!

April 30, 2005

Leamington , ON – Thirty-Eight children scored the biggest goal of their hockey lives this past weekend when they participated in the third annual Let's Learn Hockey Program.

With the support of Children's Aid Society (CAS) and Big Brothers & Big Sisters (BBBS), the Minor Hockey Foundation Ontario (MHF) was able to select these children aged six to eleven years old from across Southwestern Ontario for this Program.

All participants dreamed about playing hockey but due to circumstances, have been unable to play the game. Through fundraising efforts and corporate sponsorships, the MHF is able to provide every child in the Program with a set of brand new equipment, host an introductory skills camp and subsidize their minor hockey registration fees for the following season.

As the children arrived in the morning, MHF President, John Archibald, hosted a breakfast and welcomed them to the Program. Following breakfast, the participants picked up their bag of new equipment and headed to their assigned change room to be fitted by the staff and volunteers. Prior to the event, participants completed a basic equipment sizing chart and submitted it to the MHF. All equipment was pre-ordered through The Hockey Company with additional sizes to work with if the original order was inaccurate. Each child was paired with their own coach to assist them with properly fitting them.

After a couple of trips to the Leamington Canadian Tire store to find the missing pieces to the puzzle, the participants were ready to take to the ice for their first-ever ice session. Development staff from the Ontario Minor Hockey Association along with volunteers from Southpoint MHA and Amherstburg MHA had the children participate in basic skills development drills such as skating and puck control.

A delicious Maple Lodge Farms BBQ lunch was prepared for the players, caseworkers, foster parents, staff and volunteers as they finished the first ice session. With the sunshine shining outside, children enjoyed lunch and played with the Maple Lodge Farms mascot, ROCK. After lunch, children played interactive hockey games courtesy of the OMHA Canadian Tire Events Team.

The afternoon ice session consisted of mini-games and a special appearance by NHL Linesman, Marc Pare. Rink dividers split the ice surface into three sections so Instructors could maximize ice time while creating smaller fun games that taught some more basic hockey skills. The finale saw each child participate in a breakaway contest on a goalie.

One foster parent was very emotional about the entire experience claiming that it meant a great deal to her and the child because “this day has given him so much confidence. We woke up at 4:30 this morning to be here and he hardly slept a wink because he was so excited to come.”

John Archibald closed the afternoon session by thanking all of the participants, foster parents, caseworkers, volunteers and staff for making the day so successful. The participants went back to their dressing rooms, changed and prepared for the journey home.

“I'm playing hockey next year!” explained one of the children as he put his new hockey bag over his shoulder and left with his foster parent for the day. This statement highlighted what the Let's Learn Hockey Program is all about, giving a child a chance to play the game that so many people enjoy.

The Minor Hockey Foundation Ontario is a registered not-for-profit company. Developed in 1999, the MHF's goals and objectives are to assist children in the province of Ontario with the game of hockey. The three programs that the MHF operates are a) Wally Scott Bursary, b) Financial Relief Program, and c) Let's Learn Hockey Program. To learn more about the Minor Hockey Foundation Ontario or to make a donation, please contact 905-780-66442 or visit the website at www.hockeyfoundation.ca.