With the cost of playing organized sports climbing, it's becoming harder for families to be able to afford enrolling their children, but in Bradford a new program kicked off trying to ease that burden and get more kids on the ice.
Geared up in full equipment and ready to play hockey, this is a first shift dozens of young players won't ever forget.
"It was fun, but a bit hard. Everybody might have fallen a bit, but we all got the hang of it," says Seraphina Crosby.
Forty-five ambitious skaters are part of First Shift, a program that offsets the costs of equipment and registration to get first timers out on the ice. That registration period is now closed.
"She's really wanted to play hockey, so I thought this was a good way to get her feet wet, to make sure she'll like it, before signing her up for a whole year," says Barbara Crosby.
Run through the Bradford Minor Hockey Association, the program is sponsored by Bauer and Hockey Canada. Kids get completely outfitted with gear and an hour of ice time every Saturday for six weeks; all for $125.
"We have two boys that have wanted to be a part of hockey, and of course it's an investment now,” says Andrea Taurasi-Wood. “When we heard of the program, we could not believe that our two boys would be fully equipped to get on the ice with this wonderful program.”
Enrollment in hockey seems to be at a standstill. Organizers say it's because of the high cost and availability of other sports.
"It's a very expensive sports but it's a lot of fun, it teaches a lot of things and this helps in a lot of ways that people normally wouldn't get in. If they get an opportunity, it's great," says Jason Terrey, a volunteer coach.
"This is our game, so we want to make sure it's strong and we do everything we can to keep it strong in Canada," says Dave Heath of Bradford Minor Hockey.
This program spans well beyond Bradford. The goal of First Shift is to get one million new families into the sport of hockey in the next 10 years world-wide.
