43
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Schools from all over the Mahoning Valley area came to the Get Schooled event at the Covelli Center on Dec. 8 and watched a Youngstown Phantoms game.
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Students from Mahoning Valley schools filled the seats as they watched the Youngstown Phantoms play at the Covelli Center on Dec. 8 for the Get Schooled event.
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The Youngstown Phantoms mascot, Boomer, posed as he watched the game on Dec. 8 for the Get Schooled event at the Covelli Center.
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Morgan Crawford and Sienna Morales-Sweeney, Austintown Fitch High School seniors in Future Business Leaders of America, worked with the Youngstown Phantoms broadcasting staff to help during the game on Dec. 8.
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Students went on the ice during an intermission to help with the Chuck a Puck game at a Youngstown Phantoms Get Schooled game on Dec. 8.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
More than 5,000 fans cheered on the Youngstown Phantoms during the special Get Schooled event at the Covelli Centre on Dec. 8.
Schools from the Mahoning Valley area brought students to the Covelli Centre to enjoy a game of hockey while also learning about different careers. There were businesses set up in the concourse area that students could visit the table and talk to representatives from the company.
“The purpose behind the game is not only to expose students to hockey, but also to provide our Hockey for Health program in a different way. We visit to schools to do the program, but it’s nice to bring them to the arena to showcase what our guys do on the ice and also use it as a way to get our message out there,” said Director of Operations Katie Seminara-DeToro.
The morning at the Phantom’s game was a little different for some students. There were 10 students from Austintown Fitch High School’s Future Business Leaders of America group who spent the morning job shadowing different staff members.
“It teaches you to be quick on your feet. You have to have quality, not just do it fast and do it sloppy, but do it fast and do it well,” said senior Morgan Crawford.
“It gives you an insight that it’s not something you can throw together last minute. You have to be willing to prepare,” said senior and Vice President of FBLA Sienna Morales-Sweeney.
Job shadowing gave the students an insight as to how the game-day operations work and what the different departments do. Some students worked in the production booth, others followed the sales department while some worked with Seminara-DeToro in operations.
“I hope they appreciate the athleticism of the sport. These are players that aren’t that far removed from a lot of these students,” said Troy Loney, co-owner of the Phantoms. “There’s a lot of different ways to get to a college career, hockey being one of them.”
This is the seventh year the Phantoms have had the Get Schooled event and continues to be one of the favorite games amongst the staff, the schools and the players. The Covelli Centre and the Youngstown Phantoms look forward to the event each season.