Hockey for the kids…
Wow. We just had the BEST night last night.
Donna got the boys into a program called Get Out and Learn (G.O.A.L.) here in Nashville.
Get this. They provide hockey equipment and four weeks of lessons…for FREE.
The kids got helmets, skates, pads, pants, socks, mouth guards…the works. All given to them for free by the Nashville Predators.
Now…at the end of the 4 weeks….they give most of it back. But they got to keep the sticks (brand new and cut to their size Ovechkin CCM sticks) and jerseys.
This was great. They had a blast. Getting out each week and learning to skate, shoot, pass, and just have fun.
But the last day (last night) was just too much.
We found out that the Nashville Predators were having practice on the ice an hour before the kids went out.
We all got to hang out…and watch a professional hockey team play. In our own rink.
It was amazing.
One of the players, Jerred Smithson saw the boys (faces squished on the glass) and picked up one of the practice pucks with his stick and lifted it over the glass for Brendan.
He was floored. An official Predators Practice Puck. WOW.
Then…the boys suited up and went out.
Only to find out that some of the Predators actually SKATED with them. For the entire HOUR.
Jordin Tootoo and Cody Fransen let them take shots on them. Showed them how to hold their sticks. And just made it so fun.
Jordin is one of Logan’s favorite (if not THE favorite) hockey player. And he made sure and told him so.
Gnash (the Preds’ mascot) also came out and played with the kids.
At the end…
They took a group picture.
And then SIGNED stuff for all the kids.
Yes. They sat for another HOUR while 60 kids lined up and got sticks, pucks, jerseys and whatnot signed.
Brendan got his practice puck signed. Logan got his stick and a Jordin Tootoo hockey card (I brought every Predator card we had) signed as well.
Afterwards…we had dinner at Burgers and Cream.
And it was a good…and VERY memorable day.
More and more…we find that moving here to Franklin, TN has been such a blessing. Everyone is so great and so much is done for the kids.
We feel we did good as parents to leave Los Angeles and put the kids first.
But even so…Donna and I felt like kids tonight. We had fun with them.
It was a great night.
Kewlness. Go Predators!
That’s awesome! And I don’t even like hockey. 😀
I second Sharon’s reply.
I don’t like hockey, but this is just too awesome!
That’s just too cool man. I know the kids must have been excited but you’re a huge hockey geek too so it must have been double cool for you.
That is so neat that the league, the team, and even more so, the players value their little fans and the community that much. Kudos all around.
that is way cool that the predators would take that kind of time for there fans. Bet the boys loved it. Are you one of those men who are a kid at heart Scott, and you refuse to grow up? So poor Donna has three kids most of the time?
Awesome stuff, Scott. Nothing’s wrong with hockey. 😀 Best sport in the world. However, I’m a Detroit Red Wings fan, so…
Best of luck to both of our teams this year. 🙂
See, that’s what a true superstar is, one that plays the game he loves, one that is involved in growing the game, and one that makes sure to have time for their fans, not all the time and everywhere but time none the less.
And yes, I love icehockey, there’s no sport like it…
I can’t think of anything cuter than those little kids with their giant jerseys and helmets, hitting minipucks into mininets. Adorable!
WOW!! thats awesome! i always knew hockey was awesome!!! Im so happy you guys had an awesome time!!! and to agree with Rowan, i dont think there is ANYTHING cuter. lol they just look so cool and cute out on the ice.
I want to be a kid again so bad when I read stuff like this. And I have much love for the Predators since the Milwaukee Admirals are their “farm” league.
I normally can’t stand Tootoo on the ice (I’m a Blue Jackets fan, y’see), but I’ve always had a lot of respect for him off the ice, and this just confirms that it’s not misplaced. Highly awesome. 🙂
That is really awesome! I like hockey but I’m more a fan of the Ducks these days. However, I really think it is cool that a local team does these kinds of things for the community. I respect sports organizations that really reach out to their fans. It also makes me smile to see kids having such a good time. 🙂
As a father of four, I can relate to your experience. My wife and I made a similar decision to leave the LA area for a better life for our kids. We chose to move to the Green Bay area and we don’t regret it one bit. (It’s a little cold at times but it’s a pretty nice place to live). The Packers do a lot of things similar to your experience and we take advantage of ti whenever we can. Gotta love teams that act as part of the community instead of just playing their games in a city.
Best Sports Team Ever!! I’m not much of a sports fan of any kind, but I root for anything in the New York/New Jersey area, and now the Predators, since they are obviously AWESOME! (And boo to the Red Sox and the Patriots , boo! Rubbish, filth, slime, muck, boo, boo, BOOOO! *ahem* Bad expierances with bad fans.)
Those kids really look cute on the ice, and I will say one good thing about moving to Tennesee, I only have to wait until 1 AM to see the next page, not 3 AM. 🙂
@Dreamland community/commenters…we need to find some contest to vote Scott and Donna as best parents of the year!!!
Totally awesome!! Now we just gotta get you and the boys up here for a Penguins game!! 🙂
Thanks all!
It was so fun. I wish we could do something like this with all us Dreamlanders too.
🙂
Oh yes. Brendan needs to meet Crosby.
It’s only fair.
That is the coolest.
Pro sports players that act like role models? Are not just cool, but that Help the kids Practice?
FOR FREE?!?!!?
That sounds like a totally AWESOME night. I bet they tell their kids (maybe even grandkids) about that night.
It was AMAZING! I know I’ll be telling MY grandkids about it! Thanks Preds! You guys ROCK!
What an awesome experience!! Definitely a night to remember. Thanks for sharing. Love you guys!
Whenever people start talking about how terrible professional athletes are as role models I always tell them about hockey players. This is just more proof that hockey players are some of the best role models out there.
I don’t think it’s about the professionals being hockey players; I think it’s more of the fact that while this may be a professional team, they aren’t a big name like the Redwings or …. whatever team would be a big name. (Okay, so I don’t know hockey teams, get over it.)
Look at it in terms of baseball. You think the Yankees are going to hang out with some kids during practice if it weren’t some publicity stunt? No. But if it were a minor league team, sure why not?
What a Great program! I use to coach wee-ones. That is a great age for kids to start understanding hockey. Well, great age period. But I really like the fact that the Predators did this. I need to see if my Dallas Stars would pony up for a program like this.
Looks like you guys had a great time!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing! Love, Em
That’s really awesome! I still remember meeting Isaiah Thomas and Joe Dumars back in the day when they played for the Pistons (it’s kind of a shame actually that they’ve gone from being such great role models to…well, yeah, anyways). I still have my autographed items from those guys. That’s something that your kids will NEVER forget. I’m REALLY glad they got to have that experience. May it drive them to be involved in something greater than themselves!
BTW, I heard you say something about going to Franklin? Is that as in Franklin, TN, or Franklin, KY? Just curious, since Franklin, KY is only about 30 minutes or so from Nashville….
NVM, you did say Franklin, TN in this post and I just missed it.
Awesomeness. Majorly awesomeness. I used to play hockey myself, but it was with all of the boys on the street, up at our local rink. None of the other girls wanted to play thogh…*sigh*. meh, the rougher the better. I WUV HOCKEY!!!! ^o^ GO PREDATORS!!!! WOOOOO!!!!!!
I think I need to find me a job in Tennessee.
Sounds like you’re living the American dream. My hat’s off to the Predators. =)
That was so awesome 🙂 What a great team that is to do that for the kids! What lucky kids!
Although I gotta ask – in the last pic, is your son giving HIMSELF bunny ears?!
that is awesome! I love hockey and I may just have to switch to the predators… Ah, who am I kiddin I wont! But they will be a close second. That is amazing thing they did, I hope whatever town I’m in when I have kids does something like that because they will already be playing hockey and thats just awesome.
Ha ha. Yes….yes he is.
🙂
Waah! That is so AMAZING! And that the hockey team gave up so much of their time as well… that’s truly wonderful. 😀
So great your kids AND you two were able to have a good time! You know, it’s really nice to hear good news from people. ^_^ It makes me feel good as well. 😀
I think I was just given a case of the warm fuzzies. 🙂
Is that an Arturs Irbe poster I see in the background there?
I just noticed that I posted in the wrong section. Anyway… :0)
I must say our Preds are classy guys. We never hear of them getting into bar fights or pulled over for DUI, or gettting shot by their mistresses. That’s so cool that they spent so much time with the kids.
I was with you all the way until you said you ate at Burgers n’ Cream. I only ate there once, and haven’t been back since that one time resulted in food poisoning. I’d much rather go next door to Moe’s.
I dropped off the scene for awhile, and I’m glad I checked back in just in time for the DC1K milestone. Congratulations Scott. Thanks for all your (and your team’s) hard work.
Tootoo is always about the kids and the community, its how he was raised by his community in Northern Canada. The program sounds great too, especially that they get to keep some of the stuff as well. As for my Hockey Team of Choice….its always going to be the Winnipeg Jets first (YES WE WILL GET THEM BACK…..someday), and followed closely by the Habs…for the non hockey people thast the Montreal Canadian (who also happen to be 100 years old this year as an organization, and one of the original 6 teams)
ooooooh, it’s been over 5 years since the last time i went skating, i loved it a lot (i wasn’t too bad, but your kids are probably better :D)
and burger king?? you’re so lucky you have a burger king :p they don’t have it where i live (oooh triple whopper, when will i get to taste you!!)
That’s so wonderful! An event like that is something the kids will remember and even be able to tell their kids someday! Happy holidays guys 🙂
I think Hockey, depending on who’s playing, is….an interesting sport, not always as violent as Lacrosse, but a little more physical then Football, congrats either way
Yay a new chapter! And that’s is really awesome to happen for your boys. When my brother and I were growing up they had something similar for baseball. That was pretty cool too. I have a boy myself and look forward to when he’s big enough for stuff like that. He thinks he’s big enough. Haha. Well, maybe for catch and things. He loves being apart of the action. Soon I’ll have a girl too. If she’s anything like me she’ll like sports as well as dolls. 🙂
Awwww, come on, you know the Sharks would have hooked you all up back in San Jose too (don’t know about the Kings…)
and don’t you miss the Easy Street Arena????? 🙂
wait, wait, wait.. you all live in nashville? what a coincidence! love the work. big fan of the comic.
annnd Alex’s stupidity hits a new low. lol