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Phantoms players reach out to city school students
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Alex Smith of the Youngstown Phantoms shakes hands and bumps fists with students in grades K-2 during lunch at the Horizon Science Academy in Youngstown. Smith and teammates Ryan Schwalbe and Kiefer Sherwood visited the school as part of an outreach program with Youngstown City Schools.
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By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
As Horizon Science Academy’s community outreach coordinator, Jessica Cene recently reached out to the Youngstown Phantoms with the hopes that they would consider a visit to her school.
She had hoped that some of the hockey players would take part in their community reading program or visit and mingle with the students while offering valuable life-tips to its 400-plus enrollment.
When Kim Boccia was named the Phantoms’ marketing coordinator last month, her immediate goal was to make sure that the team, coaching staff and front office personnel focused on community events.
Boccia wants to spread the word about the local USHL entry while tying in life’s lessons to their hockey experiences.
Thursday at the academy’s Southern Boulevard location, Cene welcomed Boccia and players Alex Smith, Ryan Schwalbe and Kiefer Sherwood who spoke to the classes during lunch time.
Smith, a defenseman who was traded to the Phantoms last month from the Indiana Ice, is the newest member of the squad. He said the opportunity to speak at local schools or addressing community interest groups is important for any sports organization.
“I want the kids to understand what we do and how we got to the point where we are at today,” the Brownstown, Mich., native said. “We are role models and want to help them cultivate their interest in sports, especially hockey.
“The message today was a very simple one in that you must listen to your teachers, study hard and get good grades. Everything else will fall into place.”
Schwalbe, a right winger from Anchorage, Alaska, has been away from his family for the last five years and has accepted a hockey scholarship to Minnesota State-Mankato University.
“The benefit of junior hockey is that you can develop as a hockey player right here before moving on to the next level,” Schwalbe said. “Hockey is not a cheap sport, but getting interested at an early age does have its advantages.
“You see hockey in markets that you would never have seen before; like California, Texas and even Ohio,” Schwalbe said. “If I can expose just one person to hockey and cultivate interest in our inner-city youth, then today’s appearance was well worth the time.”
Sherwood, a forward, will attend Miami University on a hockey scholarship . He closed by telling the group to set a plan, and then follow it throughout their lives.
“Staying on the right path in life is the key,” Sherwood said. “You need to value your education, focus and stay committed to that plan and if you do that, then you will be able to do whatever you desire,” he noted.
Boccia presented tickets to Cene so that she could distribute to the students for an upcoming Phantoms game.
Boccia said her daughter, Carly, cultivated her interest in hockey by taking her to home games last season.
“I felt like I could get our players out into the community and have found that they love to volunteer their time for the area’s many worthwhile projects,” Boccia said. “That volunteer work includes working with Habitat for Humanity and serving meals at the area soup kitchen, but they really enjoy reaching out to the children of our area.”
Cene said the Phantoms’ appearance came at just the right time.
“We have quite a few students who enjoy hockey and others that enjoy going to the games,” Cene said. “To actually meet some of the players that they have been watching and then talk to them was fun for everyone.”