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Welcome Back Week merely the start of 2018-19 excitement in Rockport

By USA Hockey, 09/21/18, 2:45PM MDT

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Ice has been an important commodity in Rockport since the Maine community was known as Goose River in the 1770s. Back then, they harvested it. Today, they skate on it. And for the past 16 years, the non-profit Midcoast Recreation Center has been at the center of that action, offering a variety of hockey and skating programs that help pass long, cold winters in the town of 3,300.

Emphasizing its focus on introductory hockey, the rink created a free 6U hockey option two seasons ago. It drew approximately 130 children, which was enough to inspire Jesse Simko, the Midcoast arena director.

“It was pretty quick for me to recognize that the recruitment and retention information that USA Hockey provided was excellent and something that I put into practice right away, which helped us get those numbers up,” said Simko.

From there, a major fundraising effort helped ensure that the financial barriers to entry would be minimal. Not surprisingly, the program continued to grow, which has fueled the rink’s 8U program and given the community a vibrant feeder for its entire youth and girls hockey landscape. The kickoff comes each September, with a Welcome Back Week greeting that sets a positive course for the coming season.

“We do telephone calls to all the players who played the previous year, and then we do our arena open house day, which is usually the first day we have ice,” said Simko. “We invite everybody who's been part of our programs to come out and we make everything absolutely free.”

In addition to fielding parent questions, Simko and staff offer public skating during the open house while cordoning off a section of the rink with hard-board dividers for a learn-to-skate area. They also run a learn-to-play session, along with a stick-and-puck session for kids who are returning for the season with Rockport’s travel hockey association. In all, approximately 200 people attend the Welcome Back open house each year.

“The kids are always super excited to get back on the ice for the first time,” said Simko. “That’s easy to see. And what’s also been great is to get some of the kids who’ve been through the program and are now in high school to come back and volunteer. They come back and give assistance to the families who are new coming in.”

It all works together to create a level of excitement amplified this season by the upcoming debut of Bruins Academy in Rockport. The four-week learn-to-play program is powered by the NHL namesake and will take to the Midcoast Recreation Center in October during an expansion to more than 80 rinks throughout New England. As part of the program, the Boston Bruins will donate more than $2.5 million worth of equipment to boys and girls between the ages of 4-9, who will also receive on-ice training from USA Hockey-certified coaches.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of that,” said Simko. “Our Bruins Academy is already completely filled, so that’ll be great and we’ll be ready to go with 65 players coming into our program right off the bat.”

It’s a great way to start the season and a solid forecast for hockey’s future on the edge of Rockport Harbor.

“We’re excited with the direction things are moving and we’re definitely excited to see how things continue developing as we keep having more families get engaged with our hockey community and find ways for kids to have a good time,” said Simko.

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