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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Sparky, the Youngstown Phantoms mascot, made his way throught the students at Dobbins Elementary on Sept. 20 during the Phantoms Power Play program.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Students at Dobbins Elementary played floor hockey with some of the Youngstown Phantoms hockey players on Sept. 20.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Three phantoms players and Tom Upton, the assistant coach, helped some Dobbins Elementary students get into goalie gear to play a small game of floor hockey on Sept. 20.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Youngstown Phantoms players visited Dobbins Elementary and played floor hockey with them on Sept. 20.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Some of the Dobbins students stood with the Phantoms players, Assistant Coach Tom Upton and Jennifer Johnson of Aqua Ohio on Sept. 20 after playing a game of floor hockey.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Players from the Youngstown Phantoms Hockey Team, as well as front office staff members and Tom Upton, one of the assistant coaches, came to visit the third- and fourth-grade students at Dobbins Elementary School on Sept. 20.
Katie Seminara, Director of Game Day Operations and Community Relations, spoke to the students about the new Phantom’s Power Play Program. The program is designed to encourage children to be active and healthy. The players, coaches and staff speak to students about the importance of exercising and eating healthy.
“We want to make sure they are growing as healthy, young children and having a healthy life moving forward,” said Seminara.
Jennifer Johnson of Aqua Ohio also had the chance to speak to the students after Seminara. Johnson talked about the importance of water and all of the uses people get from it. The speakers were very engaging with the students. The students would be asked questions about the topic of being healthy and participating in sports.
“When we heard about this program that this Phantoms hockey organization has developed and all that it stands for about being healthy and getting a good education and being good citizens, that’s what we believe in too. So we wanted to be part of this and we wanted to help make it possible for this program to come to the school,” said Johnson.
The players were introduced to the students and were given the opportunity to tell the students about themselves and how they got into hockey. The players who visited were brothers Alex and Eric Esposito and Griffin Loughran.
As a special surprise, the Phantoms donated a floor hockey set and equipment to Dobbins. Four students were brought up to the stage to gear up in equipment and try out the new set. Two students were the shooters and the other two were the goalies. The students practiced shooting balls to make goals with help from the players. Before the Phantoms left, there was one last surprise. Sparky, the Phantom’s mascot, came out and made his way through the gym for all the students to see him. Students were able to get pictures with Sparky and the players before returning to their classes.