By: Dean Johnson, Follow South Jersey Editor-in-Chief
CAMDEN, NJ – Philadelphia Flyers mischievous mascot, Gritty, energized second through fourth grade students at Katz-Dalsey Academy Charter School in the Rosedale section of Camden on Thursday, February 12, as they learned more about the sport of hockey as well as health and fitness tips.
As part of the Flyers Recess Program, the students learned about health habits and exercise along with learning terms related to hockey such as hat trick, Zamboni, and the Stanley Cup through an interactive game of Jeopardy with the help of two Flyers alumni, Riley Cotes and Chris Therien.
Katz-Dalsey staff members Jennifer Vega, Community Parent Involvement Specialist, and John Repici, resource teacher, teamed up to bring the program to the school.
“It builds knowledge of sports,” Repici said. “It also builds confidence for the students.”
“We see a lot of students give up [on sports] early,” Vega said. “Once it gets hard, they want to quit. This program teaches them teamwork and determination.”
Hosted by Flyers in-arena announcer Everett Jackson, the students answered questions about general health knowledge and the game of hockey. There were also group physical challenges that included relay races to put on a full hockey uniform and skill work with a hockey stick.
But it was Gritty who stole the show, high-fiving students, demonstrating exercises, teaching dance moves with the help of two members of the Flyers Ice Team, and creating laughable mayhem.
“It’s good to celebrate the Flyers with friends,” Julio Diaz, grade four, said.
Fourth grader Ajianna Heath said she was excited to be picked to participate in the Jeopardy game.
“I never really got called up in an assembly before,” Heath said. “I was really proud of myself.”
The Flyers Recess Program is a free school assembly program with the goal to get elementary aged children interested in the game of hockey. Along with the program, Katz-Dalsey Academy Charter School, part of Camden’s Charter School Network, receives a complete set of equipment for a physical education class hockey unit including pop-up goals, hockey sticks, balls, and Flyers branded pinnies. Every student also received a free ticket to a Flyers game.
“I got really entertained,” Diaz said.
“And it was just fun,” Heath added.
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