Ice for first graders

Over the year, more than 300 boys and girls began to skate in three cities of the country

Kolya Dzhezhora from Ivatsevichi started skating when he was 4.5 years old. Pavel brought him to the skating rink. At first, the boy learned to skate on his own, and when two years ago a hockey group was opened at a youth school, dad did not hesitate to sign up his son for it. Until the new year, everything was fine, and then the training almost stopped: there were only six people left in the group, suitable for the age for training, — they decided to disband it.  “Last fall, we learned that the Ice Hockey Association was launching the Hockey Goes to Children project. Including in our city. Since then, the son has been practicing and has not missed a single workout!” he recalls.
This unique project, in which first-graders began to skate, started a year ago in three cities — Ivatsevichi, Luninets and Pruzhany. Head of the Department for Development and Youth Hockey of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Association Pavel Mikhed tells how it all began, “There are many ice palaces in the Brest Region, but in some of them the work was not done properly. In Ivatsevichi, for example, children did not come to hockey at all for two years in a row. Minimal groups of 10-12 people gathered in Pruzhany and Luninets. These are the cities we are focusing on. We understood that it was impossible to attract guys to hockey in the traditional way, and decided to act differently. We worked out the concept of a project aimed at engaging children with sports. Furthermore, we agreed with the local authorities on the transport that brings schoolchildren to training. Likewise, we bought equipment. At first, it was a minimal set: helmets, knee and elbow protection, skates — enough for the guys to learn to skate safely. And most importantly, we have selected coaches who find the right approach to children and conduct training playfully.”
In all schools in three cities, specialists from the Belarusian Ice Hockey Association held parent-teacher meetings, at which they explained what training can give children. Many responded: in the first year of classes, almost a hundred people signed up in Pruzhany and Ivatsevichi, about 150 in Luninets. At the same time, a small part was dropped out during the year: in the first two cities, 80 children regularly went to training, in Luninets — about 130-140.
“Over the past year, more than 300 first-grade students in three cities have learned to skate. We initially did not focus on hockey. We understood that this could scare away many, especially girls. There are still stereotypes that hockey is not a women’s sport. We are trying to dispel this myth. We managed to convince parents that girls can also play hockey: they are now make up about 40-45 percent. And the girls really surprised us! In addition to ice classes, we conduct general physical training. We gave the girls sticks and floorballs. Then they asked: ‘When will we start playing hockey?” Pavel Mikhed said. 
The main aim of the training process for children is to make it as interesting and exciting as possible. Special equipment was purchased for the project participants. These are not only the usual cones that need to be maneuvered around , but also, for example, hundreds of multi-coloured foam rubber cubes and huge containers in which they need to be put. Coaches of the project pay great attention to general physical preparedness. Pavel Mikhed explains: the development of agility, speed, coordination is shaped not on the ice, but in the gyms, so classes for first-graders are held according to a programme close to that used in youth schools.

“We think that in January we will start gradually involving children who are already confidently skating in hockey. It will not only be the guys who started to study under our programme last year. If among the boys and girls who have recently been recruited there are those who feel confident on the ice, they will also be able to try their hand at training with elements of the game of hockey,” the specialist talks about their plans.
This year, the Hockey Goes to Children project has undergone significant changes. The Education Ministry, with the help of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Association, launched an experimental educational project in Ivatsevichi, Luninets and Pruzhany: now children are involved in ice skating and in physical education classes. The day before, Bobruisk and Lida joined the project, but there, Pavel Mikhed says, it is being implemented in a different format, “Lida and Bobruisk are larger cities, they have more schools, so we applied a different concept. Coaches from hockey schools come to kindergartens, to older groups — to children aged 5-6. They conduct testing in a playful way, during which they evaluate the sports and psychological components, anthropometric data of children. The results are recorded and arranged in a certain rating. At the end of testing, we plan to talk with the parents of, say, three hundred children who will be at the top of this list. We will tell them about the results of the tests, explain that hockey is what they need. We hope that when the boys and girls leave the kindergarten, they will also come to the classes.”
Now 5-6 trainers of the project work in each of the cities. This is a unique experience for them. At the same time, mentors combine project activities with work in local youth sports schools. 
However, coaches for the project are seriously selected. Initially, it was decided not to invite specialists with already established philosophies and principles, but young mentors who are open to everything new, ready to learn and listen to colleagues. It seems the decision was correct.
“My child is delighted with the activities. Progress is certainly noticeable. Coaches began to teach children how to skate from scratch: how to put a leg in correctly, how to push off, and by the end of the year the guys were already confidently skating. They also became more interested in hockey. The son does not miss a single match of HC Dinamo Minsk! In addition, recently we even came to the game: the Ice Hockey Association provided us with tickets for the match against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, we organised a bus tour. Children are extremely delighted!” Pavel Dzhezhora shares his emotions.
According to Pavel, he himself may not know how many points this or that team has scored in the KHL, who is in what place, but the son knows everything. HC Dinamo Minsk is the favourite team of Kolya and his friends. Each boy has his favourites, but they all dream of one thing: to chat with HC Dinamo Minsk players and visit their dressing room. “This project gave children great opportunities. Just imagine, before my son came, only 11 children of the same age were involved in hockey there. Now more than 300 children come to the rink! Moreover, this was achieved in just one year. The kids really like it. I will say more: it fascinated us too. I bought skates for my wife and eldest daughter. We go to public skating. And, believe me, there are many such families in Ivatsevichi now...” says Pavel Dzhezhora.

By Tatiana Pastushenko