On Wednesday, February 4th, members of the Cleveland Monsters' front office team executed another floor hockey session at Thoreau Park Elementary.  

Monsters Floor Hockey, presented by Perani’s, includes an introduction to a floor hockey curriculum and a hands-on teaching clinic. For students at Thoreau Park Elementary, this lesson couldn’t have come at a better time thanks to Cleveland’s arctic storm. 

“I think this is a great opportunity for our kids to learn different things and to learn from our hometown professionals,” said Megan Garofalo, Dean of Students. “It’s also a great opportunity because these kids were chosen for their positive attendance over the first two quarters of the school year.” 

After the first visit led by members of the Monsters staff, the school received all the equipment used during the clinic in addition to a lesson plan created by the organization to allow floor hockey to be incorporated into future physical education programs. 

“It’s amazing because they get exposed to a sport they don’t normally get exposed to,” said Brittany Grimes, Physical Education Teacher. “Now we’ll be able to have the equipment and grow the sport throughout our school.” 

For many students, this experience will be one of their first introductions to the game of hockey. Providing the right tools allows the curriculum to continue to grow at the school and gives students the power to embrace a new sport. 

“Our building is 100 years old... Our equipment is pretty old, too,” said Garofalo, “So having new equipment that is safe for the kids to use... I think Ms. Grimes is going to be able to take off with her education and her programming. All grades are going to benefit from it.” 

For the organization and faculty alike, the introduction to the game isn’t the only benefit. The opportunity to see the joy on kids’ faces and to hear the excitement in the gym is the leading driver of this program.  

“I’m their first exposure to a lot of sports, and they look forward to it every single week,” said Grimes. “It’s a highlight of my day... Watching them be able to learn these new sports and excel in them... The smiles on their faces... I absolutely love it.” 

Being able to engage with communities across Northeast Ohio is something that the Monsters front office team takes pride in.  

“As an established brand in Cleveland we have such an opportunity to impact the growth of the sport and give kids opportunities they may not normally have,” said Stephen Friedland, Monsters Coordinator of Team Services and Hockey Development. “I see how excited kids are just to get an opportunity to play and learn hockey and hopefully we are inspiring a whole new generation of players.” 

The floor hockey series is only one piece of the Monsters’ youth hockey initiatives. With a summer tour that boasts several street hockey clinics across different parts of the city, a new on ice Learn to Play Program aimed at making hockey affordable from a young age and various Try Hockey for Free days throughout the season, the organization’s commitment to growing the game cannot be understated.  

“We've really focused on building a foundation from the introductory level. We've been fortunate enough to see such great success,” said Friedland. “I'd say it's a great example of our ability to impact the growth of hockey here. From a Youth Hockey prospective, as an organization, we still have plenty of room to grow and impact more young players, but I'm very pleased with the direction we're heading.” 

With continued success and the intentionality of the organization, it is clear that “growing the game” isn’t just a phrase for the Monsters; it's an action plan.  

For more information on how to get involved with these youth hockey initiatives visit clevelandmonsters.com/grow-the-game.