Noah Berg
Hi! This is my fourth action post, for those of you who are unfamiliar with what I have been doing recently I have been helping with a program call the “First Shift.” This program helps kids who have never played hockey before getting on the ice and learn to love the great game of hockey. I have been with this program since the first week of September, and the kids have come along way already.
Throughout the weekly practices I have focused on teaching these kids the benefits of good health through activity. I have mainly been focusing on the nutrition side of this and encouraging the kids to bring water to every practice and eat before and after to ensure their young growing bodies have the nutrients they need. The kids are only 5-7 years old so it may been hard for them to grasp the concepts that I am presenting to them but I have try my best to explain it in a kid friendly way that they can understand and follow. I think that this has developed tremendously throughout the holidays and into the new year. It has come to a point where the kids are eager and excited to show me that they brought their water bottles to the bench, or that they have a snack for after practice to help their body recover properly. Even the main coach has been very impressed with how much the kids like me and want to impress me. Not sure what it is that has got the kids so inspired and motivated to do what I have been preaching to them since day one, but whatever I am doing right now I will continue to do it because it seems to have worked out pretty well. This will all lead me into my final step which is having the kids remember the importance of having water and being well nourished when I’m not around to remind and coach them anymore. If I’m not there with an extra water bottle and a kid forgets theirs, they will have to go an entire practice without water, which is detrimental to the human body.
I guess my overall goal is to help start these young kids out on the right foot and help them create good habits early so as they continue their hockey careers, they will only need to focus on developing their hockey skills.
Thank you!