Running Into Ball Hockey  

Josi Laufman stared out at the lines of children taking their turn stickhandling a ball towards a pop-up hockey net, many of them doing so for the first time.

The youth programming lead at the Tukwila Community Center knows the area isn’t exactly a hockey hotbed. But seeing about 100 elementary and middle school children take part in a free Kraken Ball Hockey/Brooks Running Clinic, mingling with hockey sticks and new running shoes on a Saturday afternoon, was all she was really focused on.

“I think a large part of it is, when do they really get these opportunities?” Laufman asked. “When do they get to see other people who look like them coming out and doing things like this? We live in Tukwila. There’s a lot of diversity here. It’s primarily people of color. So, when you see people out here who look like you, it makes you a lot more interested in participating.”

The event, organized by the One Roof Foundation as part of a newly formed Kraken partnership with Seattle-area athletic-wear company Brooks Running, introduced participants, ages 8-14, to ball hockey and to running and promote physical activity, teamwork and sportsmanship. Kraken mascot Buoy was on hand and a livestream was set up on-site to show the Kraken’s road game that afternoon against the Los Angeles Kings as the clinic was taking place.

Participants had to pre-register with their sneaker and clothing sizes in order to receive a free pair of Brooks Running shoes and Brooks/Kraken branded T-shirts.

The center’s gym was split into two sides – one for ball hockey and the other for running.

Brooks Beast Runners, nationally ranked professional runners working for the company, gave running tips to the youths and put them through a series of six different drills. On the other side, Kraken ball hockey instructors taught basics of safety, basic stickhandling, passing and shooting.

“When the Brooks partnership was announced, a big part of it was going to be on access to play,” said Andrew Bloom, the Kraken’s manager of social impact and youth access, who helped guide participants through the ball hockey portion. “And so, being able to partner with them on an event like this, we can provide a new pair of running shoes for all the kids who are participating. It’s a huge bonus to what we’ve already been doing with ball hockey in the community.”

Bloom said that besides the giveaways, which included Kraken mini-sticks as well, just showing up to such events and spending time on instruction with kids is a huge part of the One Roof Foundation mandate.

“We want to make sure that every kid has access to play regardless of the zip code they live in, the income level they see at home or their racial background,” Bloom added. “So, we really want to make sure we’re showing up to the community and meeting youth where they’re at.”

Though century-old Brooks Running has been headquartered in Seattle for nearly 32 years, part of a 1993 sale that saw its head office relocate here from Pennsylvania, the Kraken partnership is the company’s biggest yet with a local sports team.

“We are excited that as a major Seattle-area sports company, we get to partner with a major sports team from Seattle,” said Carly Rebecchi, manager of community impact for Brooks Running. “We feel this will give us the opportunity improve the visibility of both running and hockey in Seattle and give more people the chance to participate in these great sports.

“And that’s really what it’s about for us – improving access and participation.”

Those attending the clinic were certainly active, chasing Buoy around the gym floor throughout the event and even trying to tackle the mascot. Several posed for photos with Buoy and some of the Brooks Beast Runners in the midst of drills.

A couple of participants brought along their own wood-blade hockey sticks. But most were clearly experiencing the sport for the first time and took advantage of the plastic blade floor hockey models provided.

“It means everything to the community,” said Darren Hawkins, the Tukwila center’s youth and team coordinator. “We have a pretty low-income community here. So, having free clinics like this and giving opportunities to kids who don’t normally get those opportunities is pretty amazing.”