Panthers program introduces kids to ice hockey
As Boca Raton six-yearold Sam Wasch slowly glided across the frozen surface at the Palm Beach Skate Zone, he was careful not to crash into the other ice hockey newcomers.
Like most of the participants in the Florida Panthers’ Learn to Play program, Wasch tread cautiously but eventually was able to control the puck and his skating during the hourlong session at the Lake Worth facility.
Wasch, a first-grader at Calusa Elementary School in Boca Raton, enjoyed his introduction to the sport.
“I like that you can learn to play hockey,” beamed Wasch. “I play street hockey all the time, but this was hard to do. I fell down a couple of times. I liked shooting the best.”
His father Adam came away impressed.
“It is an amazing program that offers kids the opportunity to learn the techniques of skating and the basics of hockey,” the elder Wasch said.
The Florida Panthers offer the Learn to Play program to boys and girls ages 5-9 in conjunction with the National Hockey League, its Players Association and USA Hockey.
The cost is $150 for six weeks and includes on-ice training from USA Hockey also certified coaches and Florida Panthers alumni. Each child is custom fitted with a full set of hockey equipment, which they are allowed to keep.
Florida Panthers’ Youth Hockey Manager Matt Janusz said the Learn to Play program welcomes up to 50 kids at each session. There are a total of 12 sessions at various South Florida facilities.
Janusz went on to mention that the primary goal of the program is to create the next generation of hockey players and fans.
“Honestly, it is fantastic to see the kids touch the ice,” Janusz said. “Some of the kids may have been out there and skating before, but it is great to see them in their full hockey equipment and really going at it.”
The learning curve is not limited to the youngsters.
“Even more than the enjoyment of watching the kids is seeing [the reaction of ] their parents. … A lot of them aren’t hockey people and it is brand new to them as well,” Janusz continued. “You look at them and you see how excited they are. I mean their child could be moving five feet every two minutes, but they love it.”
After the sessions, the players are evaluated and they get a colored sticker that recommends placement for a certain level of youth hockey, whether it be a recreational league or other programs.
Lake Worth’s Athena D’Angelo, 6, was skating for the very first time. She stumbled a couple of times, and after one fall she laid on the ice and did a snow angel movement before getting up and trying again.
“I like hockey and moving around,” she said. “It was fun.”
Boca Raton’s Fabiola Padernacht watched her son Matthew negotiate his way around the ice as he tried, like most others, to keep his balance.
“I like the program a lot,” Padernacht said. “They give the kids the opportunity to try a sport. With hockey, the equipment can be so expensive. It can be a lot of money. With these programs, it really is affordable. Now, we are watching hockey at home on TV and planning to go a hockey game.”
There are still spots available for those wishing to sign up for the Nov. 12-Dec. 17 session. Along with the Palm Beach Skate Zone, instruction also takes place at Palm Beach Ice Works (West Palm Beach) and Glacier Ice & Snow Arena (Pompano Beach).
For more information, visit FloridaPanthers.com/ LearnToPlay.
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