Columbus Blue Jackets 'takin' it to the streets' with free summer street-hockey clinics

The joy of hockey isn’t only for ice-covered ponds on wooded shorelines in Minnesota or Michigan.

The evidence was in the laughter of dozens of boys and girls tick-tacking rubber balls with hockey sticks at the first session of the Columbus Blue Jackets' Get Out and Learn (GOAL) free street-hockey clinic May 9 at Thomas Knox Hockey Rink in Westerville.

For 7-year-old Walter Williams of Powell, it was all about shooting the ball into the net at one of the clinic’s several stations.

“I like shooting,” he said.

Walter’s love of hockey, as well as that of his 10-year-old brother, Wesley, is born from the first NHL game the family attended at Nationwide Arena Dec. 30, according to their mother, Chanda Williams.

Courtesy of free behind-the-goalie tickets from friends of the family, the brothers witnessed the Blue Jackets win 4-3 in a shootout against the Nashville Predators.

“They wouldn’t shut up about it,” Chanda Williams said.

Walter and Wesley both participated earlier this year in the Blue Jackets’ Get Out and Play clinic at The Chiller in Dublin, played on ice.

"But the street-hockey version of the clinic is offered to children between the ages of 5 and 9, and Wesley was too old to register," Williams said.

"While the ice-hockey version has been offered at The Chiller since 2018, this is only the second season the street-hockey clinic has been held," said Andee Cochran, the Blue Jackets' senior director of fan development and community programs. “The clinic is part of our organization’s commitment to growing the game and removing barriers,” one of which is simply getting started, she said.

To that end, each boy and girl is provided a hockey stick, ball and event shirt at the conclusion of each clinic.

Another child enjoying the clinic May 9 was Maksym “Maks” Selikson, 7, of Worthington.

“I’m introducing him (and his 3-year-old brother, Mavryk) to playing different sports,” said the boys’ father, Tyler Selikson. “Playing sports had such a positive impact on my life. It teaches a ‘team aspect’ of being dependable (and) is the building blocks for a successful career.”

Russell Baumbach of Westerville enrolled his 6-year-old son, Erik, and 8-year-old daughter, Sydney.

“Both of them have played (street hockey) in gym class at school, and I figured they would have fun playing here, too, and developing more skills.”

The clinics are free to boys and girls ages 5 to 9, but a child may be registered only once during the entirety of the clinic’s schedule.

"Each clinic is 30 minutes, with children receiving age-appropriate instruction from certified coaches," Cochran said.

The summer series is provided with assistance from Safelite and in collaboration with the parks and recreation departments at Columbus, Gahanna, Grandview Heights, Grove City, Upper Arlington and Westerville and the YMCA of Central Ohio.

"Last year, about 200 children registered in the first series of street-hockey clinics, but the organization wants to reach 1,000 children this year," Cochran said.

It appears the Blue Jackets are to exceed that number, as both clinics May 9 were filled, providing instruction to 120 children. Each clinic is capped at 60.

Other scheduled dates with multiple clinics each day are at 6 and 6:45 p.m. May 17 at the Sunny 95 Hockey Rink in Upper Arlington; 11:30 a.m., 12:15 and 1 p.m. June 11 at the Thomas Knox Hockey Rink in Westerville; 6 and 6:45 p.m. June 16 at the Shull Park Hockey Rink in Gahanna; 10 and 10:45 a.m. July 23 at the Tuttle Park Hockey Rink in Columbus; 6 and 6:45 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Evans Senior Center in Grove City; and 6 and 6:45 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Delaware Community YMCA.

Advanced registration is required and open at bluejackets.com/goal.

The GOAL summer clinics aren’t the only way the Blue Jackets are introducing hockey to central Ohio children.

The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation earlier this month donated $250,000 to the city of Whitehall toward the construction of a community street-hockey rink, as well as providing support to establish hockey programming, including clinics.

The project is expected to break ground in early summer and to be completed by fall.

kcorvo@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekCorvo

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Blue Jackets 'takin' it to central Ohio streets' with free clinics