Aug. 14: Bremerton Ice Center
Min:"We didn't take the ferry. We drove around the long way [smiles]. The events were capped at 50 to 60 kids [allowing more personal instruction and attention]. We reached capacity at Bremerton and pretty much all of the rinks. You could feel the excitement of all of the kids on the ice. Most players are younger [the program is designed for four- to nine-year-olds] but there were a handful of 12- to 14-year-olds too. We also saw a lot of interest in girls hockey."
Aug. 15: Sno-King Ice, Renton
Min:"Lots of the rinks and area we visited had close ties to the local WHL and juniors teams. The Thunderbirds are popular with kids at the Renton rink. They had not just volunteer coaches but junior coaches and players, including girls 10 to 12, helping pick up players and giving encouragement. You see kids get excited. Sometimes all it takes is hitting a puck or the sound of skates on ice."
Aug. 19: Town Toyota Center, Wenatchee
Min:"It was impressive to see the support from the Wenatchee Wild and be joined by coaches from the junior and academy teams. A lot of what we did here, along with the coaches at each rink, is teach the kids to have fun. That's the goal and helps us support rinks around the state to get people to their buildings more frequently."
Parker: "The new kids like it when they see hockey players their age with good skills. It inspires them. We always look to progression when we hold these sessions. Our approach starts with Learn to Skate and then goes to Hockey 1 and Hockey 2, then the youth hockey ... but one thing to remember: some steps of progression take practice."
Aug. 20: Eagles Ice Rink, Spokane
Min:"This was officially a Try Hockey for Free event. We will be back for the preseason game [Sept. 26] to do that one. Instead, we joined a Learn to Play class that was cancelled for 100 kids because of the pandemic. We worked with those returning kids and it was fun to set drills and stations."
Parker:"The co-rec sessions both included a good number of girls. Every stop we made had girls in the group. It's exciting to see little girls take their first steps as hockey players. We want our programs and the team to provide a platform for girls hockey in Washington state ... The sessions were more drill-based, divided up on a huge range of hockey skill levels. We even found time for a scrimmage."
