The Chicago Blackhawks today launched ‘Sticks In,’ a new platform created to help grow the game of hockey at the youth levels across Illinois and its surrounding states. By centralizing information into a simple and easy resource, Sticks In seeks to inspire more individuals to try hockey and enable them to discover its countless opportunities.

Beginning today, parents can visit SticksIn.com as a guide to hockey in their community, with educational materials on getting started or continuing their youth hockey journey alongside an interactive tool that provides personalized programming recommendations based on their child’s location, age, skill level and more. While the platform is powered by the Chicago Blackhawks, it brings together information from participating rinks, clubs and leagues across the region for greater access to information on programs that fit each unique family’s needs.

“As a parent of young children myself, I know youth sports are more important than ever to their development – being active, having fun, learning about teamwork and making new friends along the way,” said Jaime Faulkner, Blackhawks President of Business Operations. “And while we believe hockey is the best sport in the world, we also know it can be more difficult to navigate than other youth sports. That’s why we built a place to help parents get educated, get excited – and ultimately, get their children started.”

The platform launches just ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks’ Try Hockey for Free weekend on October 12-13 at nearly 30 local rinks across Chicagoland and beyond, which is anticipated to offer approximately 2,000 kids their first opportunity to try hockey.

“Whether you’re looking for your first steps, joining us for ‘Try Hockey’ this weekend and looking for your next steps, or perhaps even moving to Illinois and in need of a new team, Sticks In is the place for you. We want to ensure everyone feels comfortable and confident learning to skate, learning to play and joining our incredible amateur hockey community across Illinois.” added Andrea Hahn, Blackhawks Vice President of Amateur Hockey.

At launch, the website will also feature rink and club finders with more than 200 individual listings, equipment guides, parent prep materials and more, with plans to continue to grow its resources and partners in the coming years. In addition to the website, the Chicago Blackhawks will tap the new Sticks In brand across a variety of marketing and content channels to showcase the joy of the sport, offer additional tips and tricks to parents and celebrate the local amateur hockey community.

Follow @SticksInIllinois on Facebook and Instagram for more information.