To celebrate the groundbreaking, the Blue Jackets, NHL and YMCA staged a street hockey clinic inside the gymnasium of the Liberty Township/Powell YMCA. Around 25 kids got the chance to put sticks in their hands and learn the game from the Blue Jackets, including former players Rick Nash and Andrew Cassels, as well as high school kids from Olentangy, Olentangy Liberty and Olentangy Berlin High Schools.
“At the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is ensure that all a kid needs to play hockey is a pair of sneakers,” said Andee Cochren, executive director of the CBJ Foundation and senior director of fan development and community programs. “It’s amazing to see the turnout here today. Many of these kids are holding a stick for the first time. You just see them falling in love with the game right here in Central Ohio.”
Made possible through a $250,000 commitment announced by the Blue Jackets Foundation last fall, this collaborative project with the NHL and the YMCA of Central Ohio will provide more kids with affordable access to hockey.
After all, the barrier to entry when it comes to ice hockey is often high, with families having to bear the cost of equipment, skating lessons and ice time. When it comes to street hockey, though, all a kid needs is a ball, a stick and a net, and the commitment to the game moves to a higher level when a community rink is involved.
In all, it’s the fourth street hockey rink the Blue Jackets Foundation has helped build in Central Ohio.
“The part that is so heartwarming is, forget the shovel in the dirt, it’s the kids that are playing the sport that are excited, that are waiting to see if they can get the stick in their hands,” said Kim Davis, NHL Sr. Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislative Affairs. “I saw a couple of little ones, really small, trying to get the stick in their hands, so those are the things that are really, really important. That really demonstrates the importance of building stronger, more vibrant communities through the sport.”
The YMCA of Central Ohio operates 13 community centers, and the Liberty Township/Powell YMCA will be the first with a street hockey rink. This location serves more than 11,000 people every year with youth development, healthy living and social responsibility programming.
What’s most exciting for the Y is that the partnership between the organization and the Blue Jackets will be far from over once the rink is built. The Blue Jackets will provide the organization with hockey programming support and resources including ‘Try Hockey for Free’ clinics, hockey curriculum, staff training and equipment. The Blue Jackets also will work with school districts in Delaware County to provide free education resources to over 40,000 students that address literacy and STEM learning, academic achievement and provide a hockey-themed wellness curriculum in their schools.
Tony Collins, CEO & President of YMCA of Central Ohio, was on hand for the groundbreaking and was excited to see so many kids taking part in the street hockey clinic simply because it’s the start of something big.
“It’s so incredible to see,” Collins said. “This is what we do this for, all these kids who get the fire in them. They’re going to love the game, and who knows what they’re going to end up being. They could end up playing on their high school team, a college team, and hopefully they’re future Blue Jackets. It’s really exciting to see the energy today.”
In addition to being a former CBJ player, Cassels leads the Blue Jackets Learn To Play program presented by Performance Columbus in association with Kroger and Moo Moo Car Wash, which provides first-time participants ages 4-10 age-appropriate instruction through USA Hockey and certified coaching in a fun and safe atmosphere.
As a result, he is familiar with seeing kids fall in love with the game in his role and was happy to get out there and continue teaching the game in a hands-on way.
“The first step is to get sticks in hands and get them out there and seeing what hockey is all about, and it’s really hard not to fall in love with the game because it’s a great sport and you can learn so much more than just hockey through playing,” Cassels said. “You can tell there’s some super aggressive kids out there, just go, go, go, and then there’s others trying to figure it out and trying to hold the stick.
“But once they touch the ball and have a little bit of fun, I think just seeing them smile and getting some exercise, it’s better than sitting in front of a screen.”
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