There’s no ice rink at Congressman Silvestre & Carolina Reyes Elementary, but that didn’t stop third- through fifth-grade physical education students at the school from getting a basic lesson on hockey straight from the best players of the sport in the region.
Four members of the El Paso Rhinos hockey team took time off from their busy training schedule this week to work with the Reyes students on stick handling, puck maneuvering and – of course – goal scoring.
“It’s a great opportunity for our students to learn about a sport that they may not have a lot of knowledge about,” said physical education teacher Cesar Perez, who coordinated the visit. “Ice hockey is not a sport that is native to El Paso, but once students learn about it they become big fans of it.”
Students got some hands-on training by using plastic sticks, pucks and even goal nets. The lessons were imparted by Rhino defensemen Mike Sobaski and Tyler Kowalchuck as well as goalies Phillip O’Neill and Christopher Burns.
The players answered probing questions from students on a wide range of topics that included training regimen, education requirements, game rules and – of course – the ins and outs of hockey fights.
“It’s a lot of fun to come out and talk to the students about what it is to be an El Paso Rhino,” Sobaski said. “We have the best fans in all of the league, and it is important for us to come out and support our community any way we can.”