https://vimeo.com/18395028]
At the Laura Sims Skate House at Cobbs Creek Park in West Philadelphia, participants in the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation are taught more than just the game of hockey; they are also coached in the game of life.
“The most important lesson you learn from the Ed Snider program is respect,” said Stephen Taylor, 14, of West Philadelphia and a participant in the program. “You learn how to be a good person on and off the ice.”
Ed Snider, chairman of Comcast-Spectacor, the company that owns the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia 76ers, founded the organization in May 2005. The program started small, and now includes 12 inner-city hockey rinks with more than 2,000 participants. The program is run at no cost to the participants. The Foundation provides full equipment, ice time and experienced coaching.
“Hockey is our hook,” said Jim Britt, vice president and chief operating officer of the foundation. “But the big thing is the life skills.”
The mission of the foundation is to use the sport of hockey to help educate young people on how to succeed in the game of life. This is done by teaching the children the values of teamwork, self-esteem, hard work and respect for one’s self and one’s teammates.
Though the paticipants practice several nights a week and play in games on Saturdays, they also have the opportunity to go on trips to New York, Michigan and even Canada, where they get a chance to learn and experience more about the game of hockey.
“We’ve seen consistent growth in our children year by year as they’re going through the curriculum,” said Joe Muth, site coordinator and coach.
In the summer of 2008, Snider and members of the Foundation saved three inner-city hockey rinks that were set to close due to a lack of funding from the city. The Laura Simms Skate House, one of the three rinks, has benefitted greatly from the foundation’s generous contributions.
Originally Cobbs Creek Skate House, the name of the rink was changed to the Laura Sims Skate House in honor of the late Laura Sims. She and then City Councilman Lucien Blackwell worked hard to get the necessary funding to establish the facility in 1985.
“This is [Ed Snider’s] legacy,” said Britt. “He is very passionate about these children and about giving them opportunities they might not have otherwise had.”
Britt recalls that just three and a half years ago, they started with just twelve kids at the Laura Sims Skate House. Today, there are over 165 children involved in the program at the rink that is just one of 12 rinks included in the Foundation.
home of the next NHL players 😉