Teachers help make Blue Jackets' Power Play Challenge successful

Cara Miller stepped into the street hockey rink at Nationwide Arena and could have easily been mistaken for one of her students.
The Columbus City Schools elementary physical education instructor joined some of her peers at the arena in early March for a professional development day around the
Power Play Challenge presented by PNC and OhioHealth
, the free, hockey-themed wellness curriculum created to assist physical education teachers in the fight against childhood obesity.

That included a chance for the teachers to grab the street hockey sticks provided to local schools and stage their own game of street hockey, one that let the competitive juices flow as if they were back in their own school gym classes.
"It's awesome," said Miller, who teaches at East Linden Elementary School and South Mifflin STEM Academy. "I love playing hockey with the other teachers, and floor hockey through the Blue Jackets is one of my favorite units."
Miller is just one of many teachers throughout Central Ohio who would likely say the same thing. Since the program's inception a few years ago, 171 schools and more than 51,000 students have gone through the Power Play Challenge.
The program is an engaging, dynamic curriculum that doesn't just allow kids to enjoy the sport of hockey, it aims to create long-lasting habits around physical education and encourages healthy choices.
"The kids love it because it can get intense, it's fun, and it's something new that maybe a lot of them have not been exposed to," Miller said. "One of the great aspects of it is everybody has something in their hands, so they are a part of the game regardless. If they have a stick on the ball or if they're in the goal or if they're receiving a pass, they're part of the game, no matter what.
"With soccer, there's just a soccer ball and some kids will just take over. But if they have that implement in their hand, they know they're part of the game. They're ready to go, and they can use some of the skills that they are already familiar with. A lot of the kids are already familiar with the game of basketball. They might not be exposed as much to hockey, but it's the same skills of working with a team, passing the ball, and things like that."
The Challenge is designed to meet Ohio state standards for physical education curriculum for grades 2-5 and aims to keep children active while encouraging healthy choices.
Students are given five fitness-related challenges (promoting such activities as jogging, fitness, agility, and nutrition) to complete individually, and the class/grade also receives an introduction to street hockey. Each student who participates in the program over the course of the school year will receive a special ticket offer to a Blue Jackets game.
In addition, the highest grade in each school that takes part will be invited to a field trip at an OhioHealth Chiller ice rink during the school year, at no cost to the school. The field trip will consist of a STEM-focused facility tour, the opportunity to ice skate as well as on-ice skating instruction. After the field trip, all students will walk away with their very own street hockey stick and ball to keep.
"If we can give them tools that they can use outside of school, like walking away with a hockey stick and ball or walking away with the nutrition and fitness piece of it, being able to do sit-ups and pushups, that's a big phase of it, too," Miller said. "I love that."
For physical education teachers, one of the benefits is the support that continues from the Blue Jackets throughout the program, including those professional development days at Nationwide Arena. Instructors are supported throughout, with hands-on training from CBJ staff, all equipment provided, a teacher's manual and instructional videos that can help instructors and kids in and out of the classroom.
"The Blue Jackets don't just give you the stuff and say good luck," said Jason Zumpano, grassroots hockey manager for the Blue Jackets. "We are building PE teachers to be ambassadors of the sport. We bring them to the arena for the teacher training, they get to watch practice, they get to enjoy a hands-on teacher clinic. We give them all sorts of reasons to really attach themselves to the brand because without the buy-in from the teachers, the program doesn't work."
Which is probably why so many of the teachers involved have participated from the beginning. From teachers to students, the Power Play Challenge has everything -- and leaves those who take part wanting more.
"We played hockey back in like December and January," Miller said. "We are onto soccer now, but I had a kid the other day ask, 'When are we going to play hockey again?' I was like, 'It's March. We did that a few months ago, but I appreciate your enthusiasm.'
"When we actually get to the piece where they can play the game, they love the competitiveness of it. It's a really fun game for everyone at all grade levels."