NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Mississippi RiverKings

Olive Branch children, teacher get first-hand hockey experience

February 9, 2005 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


OLIVE BRANCH—Pleasant Hill Elementary physical education teacher Linda Lewis spent 10 minutes on Tuesday getting shot at—with a street hockey ball. Lewis was a “volunteer” when Memphis RiverKings players Alan Carr and Wayne Hall came to class to demonstrate the finer points of hockey playing.

Carr and Hall’s visit was part of the RiverKings’ “Sticks are for Kids” program, in which the RiverKings provide street hockey equipment, uniforms and gear to a school for two to four weeks.

While the fourth and fifth grades piled into the schoolÂ’s activity room, the players made use of the time to demonstrate street hockey techniques, scoring goals and saving passes.

When the children were ready, Carr and Hall introduced themselves. Both began skating at an early age and attended college on hockey scholarships.

“You don’t have to be the best player on the team to get a scholarship—you just have to work hard,” Carr said. “I definitely was not. But I worked hard at school and on the ice and I got a full scholarship. It doesn’t matter what you are good at, whether it’s academics, football, basketball, baseball, hockey, or even sewing. You just have to work hard and you’ll succeed.”

Then the players demonstrated some basic techniques, including the four-hand pass, the backhand pass, the saucer pass (done in the air), the wrist shot and the slap shot.

RiverKings Community Relations representative Michael Rice informed the students he would need a volunteer to sit in as a goalie, and then asked the children if they would like to see Mrs. Lewis do the job. After enthusiastic affirmation and ritual chanting of her name, Lewis got into the goalie gear.

“I heard Mrs. Lewis bragging that when you play soccer with her that no one can score on her when she’s in goal,” Rice said. “Now, sometimes when a goalie is playing badly, the coach will pull him out of goal and put in a new goalie. When this happens, the opposite team sometimes calls the new goalie ‘fresh meat.’ So now I want to hear you all say, ‘Fresh Meat! Fresh Meat! Fresh Meat!’” Rice chanted as the students gleefully joined him.

While Lewis served as goalie (and indeed made some great saves), the players demonstrated the breakaway, tip, two-on-zero and two-on-one plays, and talked about penalties.

“A good penalty is one that saves a goal from being scored,” Carr said. “An example of a good penalty would be tripping someone while they are on a breakaway. A bad penalty doesn’t achieve anything; it just hurts the other player. An example of that would be high sticking. We’re not out there to physically hurt someone on purpose. Sometimes it happens. But we’re out there to play hockey and have fun.”

While teachers helped distribute Cheer Stix to the students, the players worked with about 20 pre-picked students on their hockey skills. Afterward, they signed autographs for everyone.

When all the children had left, the players autographed a street hockey stick and presented it to Lewis.

“I know they took it easy on me, even though they didn’t act like it,” Lewis said. “The kids were really excited. I think they’ve driven their teachers crazy all week asking when the RiverKings were coming. They were really happy. It was fun.”

Rice said the RiverKingsÂ’ Sticks are for Kids program fulfills two objectives.

“Statistics show that children today do not get enough physical exercise, a factor that is linked to serious illnesses like obesity, heart disease and juvenile diabetes,” Rice said. “Part of our mission as a sports team is to better the lives of children by promoting healthy lifestyles, including physical fitness.

“Additionally, not all children will fit into the mold of some of the more traditional sports played in this area, like football and basketball. Street hockey is a fun sport that both boys and girls can enjoy.”

The Sticks are for Kids program is available to any school on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information call the RiverKings office at 662-342-1755 and ask for the Community Relations department.

• Discuss this story on the Central Hockey League message board...

Central Hockey League Stories from February 9, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Mississippi RiverKings Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central