London, ON - The Greater London Hockey Association held their Canadian Tire First Shift Welcome Event this past Sunday, October 16, 2016. The Welcome Event is the initial step in The First
Shift program and is where participants and their families are shown how to
put on their hockey equipment (many of which are seeing this for the first
time), and then leave with their brand new Bauer gear.
Congratulations GHLA on completing the Welcome Event and on behalf of ALLIANCE Hockey, we WELCOME those new to the game! You are going to LOVE it!
Here is a synopsis of the day provided by the GLHA:
With eyes as big as face-off dots, 45 new hockey players and their parents filed into Nichols arena on Oct 16th to pick up their new Bauer gear and hear more about the Canadian Tire First Shift program. Girls and Boys ranging in age from 6-10, who have never played hockey before, were about to ‘tryout’ hockey for the first time.
Bauer Hockey, as well as sponsor partner Canadian Tire, greeted the players as they entered the fully decked out room at Nichols arena. Wall to wall Bauer hockey gear. Everything every first time player needed to jumpstart their lifelong love affair with Canada’s greatest game.
After receiving a Bauer hockey bag, players made their way around six equipment stations. Several players gathered at each station to be properly fitted for pants, shin pads, protective shorts, gloves, elbow pads, shoulder pads, skates, helmets and sticks. With hockey bags open, new treats were put into each bag. It was like hockey Halloween!
Volunteers from the five G.L.H.A. associations helped hand out hockey gear and move the players from station to station. Parents gathered in groups, chatting and taking in all of the excitement, much like they are bound to do in countless arenas over the next few years. But the most impressive thing of the day, besides the $199 price tag for all the equipment and on-ice sessions for this program, was the endless energy and excitement that filled the room.
