Activities that engage young people and bring them into contact with positive role models is a great way to inspire them and to encourage positive outcomes.
Eight young people and staff from our Dundee office attended a “Day in the life of an Ice Hockey player”, organised with the Dundee Stars Ice Hockey team.
The first thing on the agenda was a demonstration on how the ‘Zamboni’ works. The Zamboni is the ice scraping machine that Frank Zamboni invented in 1949 and was considered a game changer in making Ice Hockey the fast and exciting game it is today.
Next was a visit to the locker room to see all the equipment the players must wear to keep them safe. We were told about the healthy diet the players had to stick to so they could cope with the physical demands of a full game of ice hockey.
Then it was time to see the players in action on the ice and it was clear why they had to be fit, with the players going through their routines time and time again. We were all tired just watching it! Most of the players are from North America, so there weren’t any cries of “get aff is!” or “that was sare” as they were fighting for the puck.
Next stop was lunch with the players, who were happy to take photographs with the young people and answer their questions.
Now came the funny bit. For people who watch ‘Strictly Dancing on Ice’, Swiis staff created a new genre called ‘strictly keep off the ice’. Much to the amusement of everybody else, some of the staff saw their legs bending in ways their brain usually wouldn’t allow! The good thing was the young people were there to help and encourage them.
This was the first time some of the children had been on ice and it was amazing to see how their skating skills and confidence developed very quickly. By the end, their faces were glowing – not just because of the two hour non-stop skating session, but because they had loved every minute of it.
If this has inspired you to foster, please get in contact with us by sending us an enquiry, or by phoning us on 0333 240 9049.