“Little Bruins” get a special assist from the Big Bruins
Any hockey parent can tell you- it’s a hard sport to sign up for. I remember literally pulling my son or daughter out of bed at 4:30 in the morning for a 6:00am game in a town 20 miles from our house. We had it down pat. Warm up the car, carry them in their pajamas to the awaiting vehicle, pillow and blanket in hand. 10 minutes from the rink we would nudge them awake. Upon arrival in the parking lot, start the process of putting on the pads. It was always a good idea have them go to bed in their Under Armor the night before.
Here they are, back in the day.
Mackenzie
Brendan
Beyond the early mornings, there is another thing to consider before deciding to put your kid into hockey. The cost. It’s the game changer for many people who can’t fathom buying the skates, the helmets, the pads, the sticks, not to mention the cost of the ice time and league membership.
Unlike soccer, basketball and baseball, hockey comes at a price- and many parents just can’t afford it.
Now thanks to the Boston Bruins, along with their sponsors, hundreds of kids from the Boston area will get their chance to play the best game on ice.
As part of the “Little Bruins” Learn to Play Hockey program, over 300 local kids between the ages of five and eight were “suited up” yesterday at Monkey Sports in Norwood. For just $100 each child was professionally out fitted with CCM equipment (including freshly sharpened skates).
” We are excited to be partnered with the Bruins,” said Sylvia Becker Senior Manager of Brand Communications for Friendly’s. “It was a way for us with families and kids to help them afford the equipment. There are also lessons included with the gear to help them get into the game.”
Each child was sent through stations where they were fitted with helmets, shoulder pads, gloves, pants, shin guards, equipment bag, hockey socks, hockey stick, (including a professional tape job) skates, and a Little Bruins jersey.
As a hockey parent for a good 15 years, I can tell you buying that stuff is a wad of cash. We could manage it. Many people can’t.
“He loves the Bruins, so we thought it would be great thing to see if he would like to play hockey,” said Kim Olszewski, with her son, Finn in tow. “So far he is having a blast getting all the stuff this morning.”
Good thinking by the Bruins, and their sponsors. One great thing about the hockey equipment is that it can be handed down. The 300 kids who were the lucky ones yesterday will pass it down to brothers, sisters, cousins and friends, which translates into hundreds of more picking up the game.
The early mornings and freezing cold rinks will still be tough on the parents. At least the moms and dads of these “Little Bruins” will have something left in the wallet for all those cups of hot chocolate.
