The Community Engagement Program works to grow the game of youth hockey, expand opportunities to youth in underprivileged areas of the Houston Community and introduce and provide opportunities for players to learn the game of hockey, and work to give children of all backgrounds opportunities to play and experience hockey and leverage the sport of hockey as a catalyst to teach essential life skills and the core values of hockey: commitment, perseverance, and teamwork.
Community Engagement Program Initiatives:
Dry land-Community Hockey:
The Dry-Land Community Hockey initiative embodies and encompasses ideas from Ice Hockey in Harlem’s Dryland Hockey program. Given that Houston is an atypical hockey market, with regard to the affordability of the sport, hockey is seen as a premium sport and a luxury for many. Given that Houston is not a typical hockey market, challenges exist that impede its ability to grow the game that other hockey markets do. Due to limited ice availability, there is an increased cost in reserving ice time. Often the cost of booking ice time for as little as 2 hours is almost equivalent to donating dry land equipment to community centers, schools, after-school programs, and sports complexes that cannot afford to purchase dryland hockey equipment. Donating equipment allows us to provide not just a one-time opportunity to experience hockey but many opportunities. Although nothing can compare to stepping on ice and experiencing hockey on ice, donating dry land equipment allows us to grow the game and grow a passion for the sport at a reduced cost. The cost of donating this equipment varies by multiple factors. Gear donated includes Sticks, Green Biscuits & Balls, Nets, and in some cases, pennies for game setup. In connection with USA Hockey, we can provide not only equipment for use but school curriculum for physical education instructors and coaches.
Houston School of Hockey:
Houston School of Hockey, though, still in its development stage, is the name of Houston Youth Hockey Group’s on-ice program that will work to provide a variety of different programs, ranging from reduced or low cost Learn to Play programs to Try Hockey for Free programs.
