Program lets kids ‘Take A Shot’ at hockey

Ten-year-old Alaa El-Taha had never put on a pair of skates before she joined a hockey program meant to remove barriers so kids can get on the ice.

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“I’m a lot faster and have a bit more balance,” said Alaa, who has been coming out for instruction in the basics for several weeks at the Brantford and District Civic Centre. “It takes a whole lot of patience and practice to learn.”

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Take A Shot, a free 10-week program for eight- to 12-year-olds operated by the Brantford Community Hockey League, offers 20 hours instruction to those who’ve never participated in minor hockey. All the equipment is provided and players can keep it if they decide to continue playing.

“They’re learning the fundamentals — stops, corners, drills, how to glide and stay balanced,” said Sandra Gagne, general manager of the league.

Gagne said many children in minor hockey start learning those skills when they’re as young as four. That can leave older players new to the game feeling “demotivated.”

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Take A Shot, she said, is like “Learn to Skate on steroids,” meant to get participants up to speed quickly.

Many of them are newcomers to Canada. There can be language barriers with players and their parents but the volunteer coaches get around that with patience and demonstrations.

It’s a huge learning curve for the participants, said Gagne.

“We teach them how to put on their equipment using picture books and Youtube videos. We cut and tape their sticks. We handed out pucks and some of them didn’t know what it was.”

Brantford is just the second community to offer the Take A Shot program, which was created in Windsor by Steve Pronger, who has coached competitive hockey at the professional, university, Junior A and Minor Hockey AAA levels. The goal of the program – also offered in Windsor for basketball, baseball and golf – is to provide “opportunities to those who are underserved from marginalized communities and to those who are entitled to reconciliation.”

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When Gagne heard Pronger speak about the program she knew she wanted to bring it to the city.

“We need this for Brantford. The population is exponentially growing. There are so many reasons why people don’t get into hockey. I saw the barriers. This takes all of them away.”

Some say kids’ hockey in Canada is facing a crisis as minor league play becomes increasingly expensive. Pricey specialized skills coaches, clinics and equipment like $300 sticks are putting the game out of reach for many families.

Peggy Chapman, executive director of the Bulldogs Foundation – the OHL Bulldogs are now based at the civic center – said they were pleased to provide funding for equipment to the Take a Shot program.

“This is exactly what my board was looking for,” said Chapman. “We want to sustain hockey but how do we do that in a country where immigration is so big?”

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The cost for each 10-week Take A Shot session is about $27,000, including equipment and ice time, said Gagne. The Brantford Community Hockey League is also receiving support from the Henrique Montour Foundation, various grants, and contributions from local businesses. They’d like to expand the program and are hoping to get other supporters on board.

From the stands on Saturday, Fides Dulnuan watched her nine-year-old daughter Bekka doing drills on the civic center ice. The family immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2018.

“She has been eyeing hockey ever since we came here,” said Dulnuan. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to see if it’s for my kid or not.”

Registration for the winter session of Take A Shot is open.

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