On March 8th, 2008, Ben Nisbet from the New York Department of Education and Mylec organized a Street Hockey Clinic for over 100 kids from the Queens, NY area as part of the NYC DOE’s C.H.A.M.P.S. fitness program.
The purpose of the C.H.A.M.P.S. Middle School Sport and Fitness League is to offer additional opportunities for students, regardless of athletic ability, to engage in a wide variety of physical activities, and to encourage these students to find activities that they enjoy and can participate in for life.
The C.H.A.M.P.S. program promotes health-related fitness and sports skills that can be maintained long after school days are over.
This program was part of a joint effort with Mylec Inc. The NY DOE had reached out to Owner Ricky Laperriere and VP Ken Cashman to have Mylec help coordinate and facilitate a street hockey event at the Middle School 77, on Seneca Ave in Queens NY. Mylec sent Pete Walters, coach of the 2007 US National team, along with Anthony Cillo a highly respected tournament dekhockey player from the LI, NY area. Pete and Anthony worked with several Teachers and faculty to make this event a success.
The group was given a perspective on how popular and widespread street hockey/Dekhockey is today. The sport is played at all levels, from individual leagues to a US National Championship, all the way up to a World Cup event held internationally.
The kids participated in working on developing skills with passing, shooting, stick handling and working as a team. They practiced several drills to enhance each skill. After the instructional part of the clinic was over, each school who participated in this event played scrimmage games against one another to see how each skill was used in actual game play. The instructors who are part of the C.H.A.M.P.S program did an excellent job and worked very well with the children. The event was headed up by the site coordinator Alan Stemmel.
The NY Department of Education is looking to make street hockey an ongoing part of their after school program in the near future. It was a sincere pleasure to work with the instructors that are part of the C.H.A.M.P.S. program. They are teaching the children great values of respect, physical fitness and teamwork. We look forward to helping this organization with future programs.