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ChazyG
(The Next Level!)
USA
377 Posts |
 Posted - 03/30/2009 : 4:38:44 PM
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http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news&cat=1&id=18377
By Jeremy Peter
Cincinnati Enquirer
CINCINNATI - Members of the Cincinnati Cyclones have been out in the community to meet fans and introduce kids to hockey. Dustin Sproat, Jamie Coghlan and Jacob Dietrich recently taught some kids fundamentals of the sport.
"A lot of the kids had been to a hockey game at some point, but very few had ever played," Sproat said. "They all had a blast. We talked with the kids for a little bit before handing out the sticks, making sure they'd be careful with them, and we tried to encourage them to pass to their teammates. With the younger group, we tried to have everybody giving each other high-fives after the good passes. I think they liked that."
But the players don't focus solely on hockey. Sproat, Barret Ehgoetz, Mark Van Guilder, Mike Salekin and Loic Lacasse set up a karaoke machine at the Ronald McDonald House, where they sang with kids and parents and signed photos.
"Loic was hilarious on the mic; everybody laughed the whole time," Sproat said. "Mark Van Guilder had his guitar and was helping a couple of the kids play it."
Sproat is a founding member of Hockey Players for Kids. The organization works with businesses, teachers and coaches to give players, who often are relocated to unfamiliar cities, an avenue to get involved with their new communities.
"When I was out in Fresno, I started doing some community work on my own and was surprised at how much everybody appreciated it," Sproat said. "I went to the Ronald McDonald house on my own and they thought it was the best thing ever, and I hadn't really even done anything yet. Then the guys started coming with me, so I thought, well maybe there's something here."
The organization is active in seven cities, including Cincinnati. For more information on Hockey Players for Kids, go to hp4k.org. |
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http://www.CyclonesFanclub.org
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