Learn how to play hockey in Canes’ first goal program :: WRAL.com

Amy Davis, WRAL Assistant

Raleigh, NC -Like the game Tell me you’re a Raleigh kid without telling me you’re a Raleigh kid, my 7-year-old son, Henry today wore a shirt at school that reads a bunch of (Little) jumps. Most triangles know the set of jumps, there is a reference A celebration after the victory of Carolina Hurricanes called Storm Surge. The fanfare of Canes players got the rage of NHL commentator Don Cherry in 2019 when he called the players a bunch of fools to the party. The fans took ownership of the moniker and my son is proud to be the Little Fool.

Program

Henry is even more proud that the shirt came with a huge bag of brand new Hurricanes CCM hockey outfits for this summer Hurricanes Learn to Play: First Goal Program. Learn to Play, launched across the league six years ago, is an initiative of the National Hockey League and the NHL Players Association. Beginners aged 5-9 can learn hockey in an exciting, safe and affordable way. Participants in the first goal learn basic hockey skills through exercises and games during six weekly sessions during the summer at an ice rink across the state.

Shane Willis, youth and amateur hockey manager for Canes and a former NHL player, believes it’s the best way to spread hockey around the triangle and North Carolina. Our goal is to be the gold standard to learn how to play hockey and create as many hockey players and fans as possible. Since 2015, Willis estimates that the first goal program has provided more than 3,000 children with the opportunity to try hockey. He says families are a big part of the success of the program because they strive to create not only players but also fans. One new player creates three new hockey fans, Willis explains.

Liberty

Triangular families are often eager to enroll in May each year and look for a program destination from local fields from Cary to Wake Forest. Willis says they don’t want to limit the program to just Hurricanes ’strong local fan base. We want the sport to grow across the country, not just in Wake County, he says. Therefore, the program is also hosted by Hillsborough, Greensboro and Charlotte. Hurricanes are reaching out to military families by welcoming players to Fort Bragg as well. Willis shares marketing programs. This is an area we are always working to increase. How do we reach these non-traditional families more every year? We use as many social media channels as possible and try to make sure parents are aware and welcome about our sport, he says.

Thanks to corporate sponsorship and NHL funding, sports, whose reputation requires a lot of expensive equipment, will become more affordable. The bag Henry got caught is big enough to fit inside, but it’s made for all the cushions, helmet and skates. The $ 250 registration fee covers six weeks of tuition, all gear, a jersey, a t-shirt (Little Jerks), membership to the Hurricanes Hockey Kids Club and two free tickets to the upcoming Canes game so families can continue to be fans.

Preparing for hockey

I had emailed Willis before registering to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I had heard that like other popular children’s programs, places fill up quickly, so I wanted to be involved. He recommended that I book Henry’s basic skating courses before the first goal program in July. While not necessary as the program is for beginners, it helped him feel more confident with the skates before you put all your hockey equipment into use for the first time.

We didn’t know what to expect when we joined the other families at the PNC Arena at a time set by Henrys for reconciliation, but we were more than impressed by the organized and hospitable atmosphere. The pure hockey workers enthusiastically greeted Henry by name and congratulated him on becoming a hockey player before handing him an iPad with a visual checklist. He took it from the chest padding station to the stick taping area and to every socially distant stop around the PNC. Henry checked all the options he needed from the iPad after the expert had shown him how to put each song on and set correctly.

Taking ice

After counting down her first day of hockey, my husband helped Henry get all the equipment in place before leaving for the field. With each child’s name on the helmet and equipped with small sticks, the new hockey players took the ice with all the swaying enthusiasm that a bunch of little jerks could have gotten.

Parents watched the children split into groups to work on beginner skating exercises and puck shooting games. My favorite was watching the cutest with two skates turn and raise your thumbs up while on the ice, but the second second followed the coaches ’excitement for this new generation of players. Willis says: With this program, all of our coaches can feel like children and remind us of WHY! Why we love hockey and why we come every week to help these future stars. Seeing their smiles, their determination, their willingness to overcome their fears and watching them fall in love not only brings us back to childhood, but also gives us absolute joy in the actions we do.

When I say I couldn’t believe his progress in six weeks, I mean I can’t believe it. Henry moved from never skating on a hockey stick, but to speeding and shooting the puck to the finish line.

At the end of the summer, each new hockey player received a recommendation for their next stage of the sport with their certificate of performance. After the first goal, players move to KinderCanes, Lil Canes 1, Lil Canes 2 or Canes Girls Youth Hockey according to age and ability. Henry is a 7 year old sophomore and just went to his first rehearsal at the Lil Cane show in Lil Canes 1! The Carolina Junior Hurricanes too continue to play sports for sport as they age and develop.

For parents

Enrollments – I know we hear about it from every children’s camp and program, but seriously, don’t be above registration. The first target will be announced in early May, (Check the website.) equipment equipment in June and a six-week program from July to August.

Communication – Willis explained his goals for the Gold Standards program and you get it! Expect lots of informative emails. Personally, I like the weekly updates that take place during the program, which make the process enjoyable for every athlete and keep parents up to date.

Gear – My husband grew up playing hockey in Colorado and realizes he’s putting on all the gear. I didn’t know what to do, and I’m still not confident. I had to practice. When he couldn’t take Henry to practice for a week, it was all Mom’s job to get the gear up and running. Practice before training! The skates need to be tighter than you think.

Security – Okay, they’re falling. They are children on the ice. Many for the first time. If I fell on the ice, I would be down until someone picked me up and it would probably take days for ibuprofen to recover. Children? Psh! They jump up right away, especially with all the gear. Henry laughed heavily when his sisters hit him in the chest or on the head with an object in the living room above him. She would scream between hits, it doesn’t hurt at all, Mom! I can’t even feel it! In addition, I heard another parent in the program explain that it is important for them to learn to fall and get up safely.

Cold – As a native of the triangle, I think I was naive about how cold a hockey practice would be. I’ve been to a lot of cool Canes games at PNC, but there’s crowd, beer, snacks, and encouragement to keep you warm. North Carolina moms know that spring and summer baseball or football days can be hot, but if you’re a new hockey mom, dress accordingly. This is from my Instagram story:

In my first Lil Canes 1 workout yesterday, my husband sent me a video of Henry skating backwards! Huh? When he was a baby with a stuffed animal in a Canes mascot, Stormy, I don’t think I’ve ever imagined him skating backwards with confidence on a hockey stick. It’s been great to watch him find a sport he likes. Of course, we have no idea if he’ll stay in hockey, but the First Goal program was the perfect start to his time on the ice with a bunch of other little jerks.

Amy Davis is a monogramming mother of three children and fitness teacher with FIT4MOM Midtown Raleigh and a web writer for the historic village area. He is a regular Go Ask Mom sender.