HP4K members/South Carolina Stingrays players recently spent time with children at an afterschool program in Dorchester, SC.

Spencer Carbery, Johann Kroll, Matt Scherer and others helped with homework, played board games with the kids (including some pretty competitive Connect 4), and organized a kickball clinic.

Click here to check out more great photos from the afternoon.

Stockton’s HP4K contingent just organized the first of many road hockey clinics to come in partnership with a YMCA afterschool program at a local elementary school. Daryl Marcoux, Oren Eizenman and Matt Robinson spent an hour playing road hockey with fourth graders, then an hour with fifth and sixth graders in the program. Daryl Marcoux shared more details about the initiative: 

“I had some swedish wooden balls to do a stick handling and passing clinic.  Then we did some shooting with tennis balls, and then played a good old-fashioned game using small, portable soccer nets that the YMCA had. The Stockton Thunder lent us 22 small road hockey sticks, and we will be doing the clinics every Tuesday in March. I’m looking forward to next week!”

Click here to check out more photos of the latest spring road hockey clinic in Stockton.

HP4K co-founder Mike Batovanja has recently started volunteering in a fifth grade classroom in Wichita:

“I’m enjoying reading with the kids and helping them work on their math skills—plus, I make sure they learn a little something about hockey and Canada at the same time! Every Thursday, I spend the afternoon with the kids, just trying to be a good role model. It’s been great so far, and I hope to work with Ms. Gough’s class even after the season is done.”

Click here to check out more photos of Mike volunteering in Wichita.

Cincinnati HP4K members, Barret Eghoetz, Ryan Del Monte and Dustin, volunteered time with kids this January in Newport, KY at the Buenger Boys and Girls Club games room.

Delly spent some time playing shuffleboard and Dustin helped the kids build a little house with big foamy puzzle pieces. Eggo played house and was served some of Cincy’s famous Skyline Chili (Connect 4 pieces in a toy bowl) by a little girl. 

After playing games, the guys went over to the common room and talked to some of the older kids in the Club (ages 12-14). 

“They thought it was cool we played hockey,” said Dustin, ”and were asking us all about the fights. I pretended that I’m much tougher than I really am.”

From the common room, the guys moved on to help in the study area, assisting kids with math homework, puzzles and computer learning games. 

From Club Site: Earl Robinson Memorial Garden

In December 2009, Dustin Sproat, Barret Ehgoetz, Scott Reynolds, Jamie Coghlan, Mark Voakes, Jason Jozsa and Jimmy Kilpatrick visited the U.S. Bank Boys & Girls Club in Cincinnati.

Sproater and Voakesy helped some of the kids with homework and reading assignments, while Eggo and Jimmy spent time playing Bags in the rec area. Cogs, Renny and Joz spent quality time in the gym, playing basketball with some really talented kids. Cogs had huge sweat pancakes on his HP4K shirt, he was working so hard to get in the lane.

“Sproater, Joz and I played 3-on-3 against two young kids (age 11) and one of their older brothers,” said Scott Reynolds, ”and got seriously schooled despite our size advantage.”   

“Attendance was light that afternoon because of a shooting down the street the day before,” said Dustin Sproat. ”A stray bullet hit the Club’s front doors at 3:30 p.m. Luckily it was raining hard that day so the kids were inside the gymnasium. Normally they would have been running around outside that door waiting for the Club to open up after school.”

CincyAfterSchool is a partnership between the Cincinnati Public Schools and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, with the goal of improving students’ academic achievement and reducing risk-taking behaviors.

Throughout the 09-10 hockey season, HP4K members in Cincinnati have had a blast spending time with kids at Pleasant Ridge Montessori—sharing lessons on leadership and fitness, and playing a lot of floor hockey.

Click here to see a ton of photos from volunteer sessions with CincyAfterSchool.

On November 29, 2009, HP4K co-founders Ian McNally and Darroll Powe organized a road hockey event for Philadelphia’s Boys & Girls Club, Bridesburg Unit. Following the afternoon of road hockey at the Boys & Girls Club facility, HP4K and the Princeton Youth Hockey Association donated equipment to the Club.

“One of the core programs of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia is sports, fitness and recreation, and we’re glad we were able to partner with such a great organization,” said Ian McNally. “Not only did we get to spend time with the Boys & Girls Club kids, but my youth hockey players had the opportunity to share some of their knowledge while participating in a fun community service project.”

To see even more photos from the event, click here.

On Tuesday, March 17, 2009, HP4K members Jamie Coghlan, Jake Dietrich and Dustin Sproat made their first visit to the YMCA afterschool program at Pleasant Ridge Montessori in Cincinnati, Ohio. While the students—ranging from junior kindergarten to grade 6—were introduced to the game of hockey, the main focus of the day was sportsmanship and team play.

Basic hockey fundamentals, relay races, a few games of ball hockey, and lots of picture-taking were all part of the action. The afternoon was a blast, and the guys look forward to continuing a relationship with CincyAfterSchool. HP4K would also like to thank CincyAfterSchool Coordinator Angela Grunkemeyer, volunteers Brandon and Jaclyn, and all of the staff for their help throughout the day.