Street Hockey Instructors Learn to Teach the Game by Playing It

When Seth McCraw moved to California from North Carolina 10 years ago, he never envisioned he would ever find himself playing ice hockey.
"I had zero skating experience coming in," McCraw says. "Absolutely none."
A physical education teacher at Friends Christian School in Yorba Linda, McCraw now spends his Sunday evenings on the ice with fellow teachers as part of the Anaheim Ducks adult league team, the Bad Apples.

An extension of the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Program, the Bad Apples is an adult ice hockey team comprising teachers and physical education instructors who teach street hockey to their students through the Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program. And what better way for these coaches to impart the game of hockey to their players than to learn to play the sport themselves?
"We knew we would create better advocates for the sport and better coaches if we gave them a chance to play," says Anaheim Ducks Manager of Fan Development Marketing Jason Cooper, who conceived the idea and also plays on the team. "It's an outlet for the teachers to learn and appreciate the game."
Now in its sixth season, the Bad Apples plays in The Rinks adult ice recreational hockey league at Westminster Ice in the Rookie Division. And true to its level, about 75-85 percent of the 16 players this season had no prior skating or playing experience before joining the team.
"It's a low pressure way for the teachers to learn the fundamentals of the game in a social atmosphere," Cooper says.
Friends Christian is a longtime participant in the Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program, and McCraw has been coaching the school's fourth grade street hockey team for more than five years. When the opportunity came up for him to join the Bad Apples and come alongside other Ducks S.C.O.R.E. teachers and coaches in learning how to play the game, he couldn't pass it up.
"This opportunity means the world," says McCraw, who is in his third season. "I'm getting to meet the other coaches and make a lot of great friends. I love it."
And McCraw admits learning to play hockey has helped him become a better coach to his students.
"Now I'm able to actually play hockey and see it from their viewpoint, instead of just coaching," McCraw says. "Seeing how hard it is to do it on skates, I can see where the kids are coming from now."

Fourth grade teacher and street hockey coach Kristin Jones from Mattie Lou Maxwell Elementary in Anaheim is in her fifth season with the Bad Apples and was part of the team's Rookie League championship run two years ago. Like many of her teammates, the winger joined the team as a first-time player on the ice.
"I think I had ice skated two times in my entire life at birthday parties, but this was a whole new ballgame," Jones says. "And it was pretty frightening, especially the first few games when I was falling and it was hurting. But now I love it. Being out here has really helped me talk to the kids. I know how difficult hockey is. So it gives me some empathy, too."
For each player's first season with the Bad Apples, the Ducks cover all registration costs and provide equipment, with the exception of skates.
"The impressive part is that these teachers have the courage to trust us," Cooper says. "There's a willingness there to try something new without any familiarity."
The Assistant Athletic Director at Grace Lutheran School in Huntington Beach, Mike Lumsden is a first year player with the Bad Apples and knew immediately that getting on the ice would benefit both him and his students.
"It's turned into my favorite sport almost overnight," Lumsden says. "Every game is that much more enjoyable because of the skill set we're acquiring along the way. As a rookie, it's been really cool to get to know everyone. These people aren't just your teammates, they become your hockey family."
Lumsden echoes the sentiments of his fellow teachers in that learning to play the game brings a new level of understanding that translates directly into more effective street hockey instruction at the schools. Students at Grace Lutheran are not only excited about the S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey program, they're continuing on to play in the Anaheim Ducks i3 Roller Hockey League.
"This is empowering them," Cooper says. "They learn the game, they become confident in their knowledge and they pass that on to the kids."
The Bad Apples season runs from approximately January to June each year, and for veteran players like Jones, the drop of the puck can't some soon enough.
"It's my favorite thing," Jones says. "When it's the offseason, I miss it. And then when the season starts again, it's a whole new me. Being part of the team is so much fun. I never would have had the courage to come out here. I never would have even thought I was capable of doing it without the encouragement of the Ducks."
For more information on the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Program, visit
ducksscore.com
.