Ducks Instruct the Instructors at S.C.O.R.E. Program Teacher's Seminar

To help kick off the new school year, the Anaheim Ducks welcomed more than 100 teachers to Honda Center last weekend for this year's S.C.O.R.E. Program Teacher's Seminar.

Elementary and middle school teachers, physical education teachers, athletic directors and coaches from local area schools attended the seminar to receive hands-on training and support as they prepare to introduce the S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program to their students.
The S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program is one of the many initiatives available to local schools through the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. (Scholastic Curriculum of Recreation & Education) Program, which reaches more than 50,000 SoCal students at 350 schools annually. With the purpose of bringing street hockey instruction to elementary aged students, the sport is introduced to kids on their school campuses through a physical education module.

Now in its 14th year, the goal of the S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program is to not only engage students in a sport they otherwise may not have an opportunity to try, but also to partner with educators in making the connection that P.E. is relevant to the classroom. In addition to the teacher training, student workbooks and a full donation of street hockey equipment are provided to the partner schools.
For many of the attendees, it was their first time at the seminar, as there are 20 new schools are participating in the S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program this year. This includes fourth grade teacher Kelly Roush from Westmont Elementary School, one of several new partner schools in the Anaheim Elementary School District.
"Currently we have a very loose curriculum to teach our students P.E., and it's done on our own by the teachers," Roush said. "Having something structured like this will be very helpful in getting the kids ready for the street hockey instruction. Many of our students in Anaheim otherwise would never experience anything like this."

Westmont Elementary is also one of 15 schools that has come to the S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program this year by way of their annual participation in another of the S.C.O.R.E. Program initiatives, the Captain's Challenge. Roush has also utilized the Reading in the Goal program with her fourth graders.
"The Ducks give so many opportunities," Roush said. "The organization as a whole is amazing and provides so much for our youth. I'm super excited for this."
In order to best instruct both newcomers to the S.C.O.R.E. Teacher's Seminar as well as veterans of the program, a variety of breakout sessions were offered to the attendees. From "S.C.O.R.E. 101" to "Goalie Training and Techniques" to "Offensive and Defensive Tactics," teachers were able to tailor the day's instruction to best meet their needs.

Long-time attendee Brice Fristed got his start with the S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program 13 years ago when he was a teacher at St. Anne School in Laguna Niguel, one of the program's first participating schools. After 10 years there, he moved to his current school, Our Lady Queen of Angels School in Newport Beach, where he is the athletic director and P.E. instructor. Now in his second year, he has the opportunity to bring the S.C.O.R.E. Program to a whole new group of students and families.
"Being able to bring hockey in and have the support of the Ducks organization at our school by helping us with the instruction has been huge," Fristed said. "It helps get our fourth grade teachers involved. I've had former students go on to play ice hockey. It's been so fun."
The S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program takes place on school campuses throughout the year, culminating each spring when several of the partner schools' fourth grade teams make their way to Honda Center to compete in the S.C.O.R.E. Shootout Street Hockey Tournament, a event that helps to showcase the skills the students have learned as they play for the S.C.O.R.E. Cup.

As part of the Ducks 25 Hours of Hockey event, the finalists from last spring's tournament were given the opportunity to play in some friendly rematch games that afternoon. For teachers like Roush and Fristed, the benefits that come from teaching street hockey to their students are not limited to just learning a new sport.
"It goes far beyond the hockey," Fristed said. "There are so many other programs offered to the schools through S.C.O.R.E. You can tell from the owners on down that they are committed to this. Everything we've ever done with the Ducks has been extremely positive."
For more information on the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Program, visit ducksscore.com.