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Watson students get crash course in hockey
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Neighbors | Natalie Scott.Eric Bedock (right), a student at Watson Elementary School, is pictured with Kyle Mackey, a player on the Youngstown Phantoms hockey team.
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Neighbors | Natalie Scott.Josh Neadal (left), Eric Sweetman, and Kyle Mackey (right), players on the Youngstown Phantoms hockey team, talked about their experiences in hockey at Watson Elementary School Jan. 29.
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Neighbors | Natalie Scott.Phantoms player Kyle Mackey (right) helped Watson Elementary School student Michael Guerriero try on hockey pads and a Phantoms jersey Jan. 29.
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Neighbors | Natalie Scott.Second-grade students at Watson Elementary School waited patiently for their chane to try on hockey gear with the Phantoms players Jan. 29.
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Neighbors | Natalie Scott.Youngstown Phantoms hockey player Eric Sweetman (right) talked to a second-grade student at Watson Elementary School about being a hockey player Jan. 29.
By NATALIE SCOTT
Youngstown Phantoms hockey players Josh Nenadal (19), Eric Sweetman (2) and Kyle Mackey (21) came to Watson Elementary School to meet students and educate them about the sport.
The players answered many questions about their lifestyles as hockey players. They gathered information on their training and what types of good habits they should pick up to grow up strong and healthy, just like the players. The players also told students about the local families who take them in during the hockey season.
“Most hockey players in our league don’t live in the city they play in,” said Sweetman. “Certain families across the league bring in hockey players and let them live with them for the season. We sleep there and eat there, and we go back to the same families every year, so they really are like second families to us. We are really grateful that they let us into their lives like that.”
The Phantoms players also let the students try on some of their gear. Students grinned from ear-to-ear as they put on pads, gloves and more.
“I think this kind of program is great,” said Jamie Giliberti, a teacher at Watson. “It’s something that really gets the kids interested in playing sports and playing hockey, as well as doing well in school. This is a really nice thing that they do that gives students who wouldn’t be able to go to a game a chance to meet the players.”