Details about the hockey donations. Credit: NHPS image Floor hockey is returning to New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) physical education classes thanks to a donation of equipment from brothers Mark and Sal DeCola and friend Jeff Russell. That cost-free expansion of health programming for all K- 12 schools was announced by NHPS Director of Physical Education, Health Athletics Erik Patchkofsky at last Monday’s Board of Education meeting at King/Robinson School and online via Zoom. Patchkofsky and the DeCola brothers presented to the Board of Education on the donation to NHPS of 840 hockey sticks, 84 goals, and 300 floor hockey balls. Patchkofsky noted that over the last two years he’s been working to make health programming more accessible and equitable for New Haven students, including through a learn-to-bike program for second graders. The DeCola brothers dreamed of one day bringing hockey back to New Haven. They’ve helped to do so by supporting the expansion of skating opportunities through Project Pride programs and through the addition of hockey to the police activity league (PAL). “Lots of times our kids have no access to it or experience with it,” Patchkofsky said on Monday.. He emphasized that hockey is an expensive sport and so the donation will make a huge difference for the district. All of the equipment came in several weeks ago, Patchkofsky said, and the majority of physical education teachers have picked up their supplies for school buildings. The DeCola brothers plan to help offer training to the PE teachers to make the program more effective. Starting this spring, the district will kick off introducing floor hockey to physical education classes in a couple schools, Patchkofsky said. Then it will roll it out districtwide in the fall. “This will be of no cost to the Board of Education or any taxpayer,” said Sal DeCola, who is a former Morris Cove alder. Mark DeCola told the school about how he met with former Mayor Toni Harp in 2016 as the city debated the future of the Ralph Walker Ice Rink. Mark said Harp asked him, “Mark, if we invest into the rink, will the kids come?” He said he promised that he’d make that happen. Now PAL, Parks and Rec, and Project Pride are in their third year of programming at the rink to expand access to hockey for New Haven youth. He reported that 125 kids in total are learning to skate and play hockey through those programs. He also recalled that hockey “saved my life” as an inner-city kid who lost his father at age six. “There’s a bigger game than the game of hockey,” he said. “I believe it’s critical for us to have an opportunity to give these kids” access to sports beyond football, baseball, and basketball, he concluded. “We should export this to every aspect of how we operate as a school system,” Board of Education Secretary Ed Joyner said in praise of the DeCola brothers’ donations, hard work, and partnership with the school district. Mark DeCola said he also plans to work with the city to bring roller skating and floor hockey to the ice rink for part of the year as well as to parks on the east and west sides of the city. He said bids are currently being submitted for new management of the ice rink that would allow more than ice skating and expand to public roller skating and floor hockey. The post DeColas Donate Hockey Supplies To NHPS appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less