Power Play Challenge helps local kids stay active

Brian Geniusz admits at first he was a bit skeptical.

When the science and wellness curriculum leader at Worthington Schools was first approached to have his students take part in the Blue Jackets Power Play Challenge presented by PNC, he didn't immediately jump on board.

"When I first got the email, I was hesitant," Geniusz said. "The more we uncovered and got to what exactly the Power Play Challenge was, the more surprised we were with the details and how positive it was going to be of an experience for our teachers and students."

And now, after two years of having Worthington Schools take part, Geniusz has a strong opinion about the physical education program that uses Blue Jackets themes to encourage elementary students to stay active.

"I can't think of any other partnerships we have that are as well put together as the Blue Jackets Power Play Challenge," he said.

The free, hockey-themed wellness curriculum is designed to be used throughout the school year to assist physical education teachers in the fight against childhood obesity. The Challenge meets Ohio state standards for physical education curriculum for grades 2-5 and aims to keep children active while encouraging healthy choices.

Students are given five fitness-related challenges -- modeled after the skills of CBJ players Nick Foligno, Cam Atkinson, Boone Jenner, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Seth Jones -- to complete individually. Each student who completes all five over the course of the school year, which are tracked on posters that can be hung up in the school facilities, receives a special ticket offer to a Blue Jackets game.

But that's not all. Each school that takes part is provided hockey sticks, street hockey balls, practice jerseys and nets to teach the sport in physical education classes. In addition, hockey stick and ball combinations are provided to fifth-grade students to take home.

Physical education teachers from each district involved in the program receive a hands-on teacher training hosted at Nationwide Arena during a District Professional Development Day. The training includes a facility tour, watching the Blue Jackets practice, a program overview, expectations and best practices discussion. That's followed by a street hockey clinic, where teachers are taught the basic techniques of stickhandling, passing and shooting and how to safely implement those skills during class.

In addition, the oldest grade group at each school that takes part is provided with a free field trip to a local ice rink. For Geniusz, the chance to see the kids from Granby Elementary School in that environment during a recent trip showed how the Power Play Challenge has an application outside of the classroom.

"Just having the kids understand a whole new concept of motion and a new sport was really big for them," Geniusz said. "We had a couple of kids that were ice skaters and a couple of figure skaters and a couple of hockey players, and they were naturals out there. That put them into positions of leadership that we weren't really expecting as those students were able to help some of the other students get along.

"One kid I watched couldn't even stand up on the skates on the rubber mat. They were so frustrated, they were a little scared. By the time we got done with it, they were on the ice and hanging on the walls but moving around the rink. They were starting to get it, and seeing that kind of development is really impressive."

The program began three years ago when it was piloted in 20 different buildings in Columbus City Schools. Bryan Ferres is a health and physical education instructor in the district who has used the Power Play Challenge each of his past three years at two different institutions. He's found that no matter where he teaches, the students gravitate toward the program.

"It really hits all the different situations very well," said Ferres, who now teaches at Ecole Kenwood, the French immersion school visited by Blue Jackets players Dubois and David Savard a year ago.

"In physical education, I really haven't seen a program like this. To be able to supply the kids with hockey sticks and equipment and jerseys allows them to be involved in the sport of hockey. I think the equipment and the posters and the banners we are able to put in the gym, it helps promote the Blue Jackets as well as promote the sport of hockey within the schools."

Both Ferres and Geniusz said the breadth of the program allows students and teachers to make the most of it. Both said motivational bracelets that help students mark achievements in the challenge are popular among their kids, and the posters allow teachers to track student progress the same way it gets measured in other classes.

It also helps spread the sport of hockey further in Columbus, which has seen an explosion in youth participation since the Blue Jackets started play two decades ago. In all, it's a perfect fit for the city, for the team and for its local schools.

"I have to tell you, in terms of our teachers and our curriculum, we could not be happier with the experiences our students are getting," Geniusz said. "It's really helped open up some ideas for our teachers and helped engage students in a different way."

Since the Power Play Challenge launched, it has expanded to include 150 elementary schools in eight districts (Columbus, Worthington, Olentangy, Westerville, South Western, Gahanna, Dublin and Upper Arlington) impacting more than 47,000 students. In its three years, the program has provided approximately 100 field trips and given 22,700 stick/ball combos to fifth graders to continue their hockey development at home.

To learn more about the program visit

BlueJackets.com/powerplaychallenge

.