Power Play Challenge leads to new hockey experiences in Upper Arlington

With a high school program that has battled for state championships, Upper Arlington is a hockey community.

There are a variety of ways that kids are introduced to the sport in the suburb located just a few short miles from Nationwide Arena, and one of them is the Power Play Challenge presented by OhioHealth.

The free, hockey-themed wellness curriculum provided to local elementary school teachers by the Blue Jackets has had a wide reach in Central Ohio, with 15 school districts taking part and more than 51,000 students impacted.

For those at Greensview Elementary School in Upper Arlington, the program had a special twist this year. Physical education teacher Erin Campbell is a passionate educator and had an idea -- each year, participating Power Play Challenge schools get to take a field trip to an OhioHealth Chiller ice rink for a chance to skate, so why couldn't Greensview kids get to visit the Ice Haus?

Considering the downtown rink attached to Nationwide Arena is home to the UA high school varsity hockey locker room, it made sense for a few members of the Golden Bears' high school team to join as well. And while they were there, couldn't the kids take in the Blue Jackets practice at Nationwide Arena, too?

A few phone calls to Joe Renza, who oversees the Power Play Challenge for the Blue Jackets, and Campbell's idea came to fruition in late February.

"It was pretty cool," she said. "It was a combination of the Jackets and the Upper Arlington high school kids. I think our group had 10 of the high school hockey players, so (my kids) got to see UA's locker room and walk through there. We did a couple of the STEM activities that involve hockey. We got to eat lunch watching (the Blue Jackets) practice, which was so cool in the big arena. Even the ones that had been there were like, 'It looks so much bigger when there's no people in it.'

"They just felt super special and really cool. It was a really neat opportunity, and I think everyone had a great time. It'll be something they remember for sure."

Campbell's ingenuity didn't stop there, though. The Power Play Challenge is a wonderful opportunity to introduce kids to hockey through school, but sometimes their relationship with the sport can end right there. So why not have the Blue Jackets' , make a visit to Greensview to give her kids a chance to further enjoy the game?

That occurred May 23, with participants from UA schools receiving instruction on how to play hockey from Blue Jackets staffers and members of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. The kids also were presented with T-shirts and sticks, cut to the correct size, to take home so they could continue their journey in the sport of hockey.

For someone like Campbell, whose aim is to see her students apply the lessons they're taught in the classroom, it was the perfect bridge into real life.

"We talk about physical literacy in our class, giving them all the basic skills so they can try whatever they want to try," she said. "This is great. I think it's so fun, and I know a few of the kids were telling me today they are going to come tonight. They are pretty pumped to be able to do something with the Jackets."

Add it all up and Campbell's approach was a community-wide way to make hockey accessible to her students. Considering Upper Arlington annually has one of the top high school teams in the state and is the home of the oldest high school program in Central Ohio, being able to see the current players also made a big impact on the kids.

"For these guys, being 7-12 (years old), sometimes the NHL players seem so big and so good, so bridging that gap with your high school teams, (my students) come to those games and see those kids," Campbell said. "They are like Blue Jacket adjacent. They're still at the arena and they still get to play at the arena. They have that accessibility, which encourages them more to bridge that gap."

The Blue Jackets Power Play Challenge is a free, hockey-themed wellness curriculum to assist physical education teachers in the fight against childhood obesity. The goal is to make a healthy lifestyle both enjoyable and easy for kids to maintain. 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 -- jogging, fitness, agility, street hockey and nutrition -- to complete individually, and the class/grade will receive an introduction to street hockey. Each student who completes all five challenges over the course of the school year also receives a special ticket offer to a Blue Jackets game.

In addition, the highest grade in each school that completes the challenges 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 consists of a STEM-focused facility tour, public skate and on-ice skating instruction, and all students walk away with their very own hockey stick and ball to keep.

Being able to integrate that program with other resources available turned out to be a win-win scenario for Campbell.

"It definitely gives experience to all of our kids," Campbell said. "Hockey can be a hard entry, so I think exposing them to something else to get them involved, that's when they say, 'I want to go try this.' That's when parents can follow through, and having all of these opportunities is really helpful."

For teachers and administrators around the area interested in the Power Play Challenge, please contact Joe Renza at [email protected] or (614) 246-6353.