Last Thursday, Andrew Bloom and his colleagues were part of the 90 schoolchildren who attended a ball hockey morning session at Moshier Memorial Park in Burien. This session was part of the fourth annual Pro Sports Sampling Camp, which was organized by the King County Play Equity Coalition in collaboration with our city’s professional teams.

Bloom, the manager of social impact and youth access for Kraken, said, “This is the fourth year we’ve done it. It’s great that all other Seattle pro teams were also present again.”

We hosted 90 kids for a hockey program, but their week-long camp schedule included a variety of other activities as well, with each day offering something new. The camp is completely free of charge, and the children undoubtedly have a great time every day.

Bloom has noticed an increasing familiarity with ball hockey among campers in his fourth year, adding to the joy of being outdoors on a Seattle summer day. This can be attributed to the efforts of the Kraken and the One Roof Foundation, the philanthropic branch of the team and Climate Pledge Arena. Even before their first home game in the NHL, the Kraken and One Roof have been organizing ball hockey clinics and distributing over 200 ball-hockey kits to school districts in Tacoma, Seattle, Highline, Renton, Edmonds, and Tukwila. These kits, which include high-tech sticks, balls, and eye-catching official floor goals, are also made available to local parks and recreation departments for use during after-school hours.

Additionally, the initiative aligns perfectly with the One Roof action pillar’s objective of providing opportunities for play to children in underserved communities. The foundation’s other two pillars focus on eradicating youth homelessness in our region and promoting environmental justice in communities with air and water-related environmental risks. An event such as the professional sports sampling effectively fulfills the youth access goal in a constructive manner.

Bloom shared, “We observed a variety of positive aspects at the camp. Upon arrival that morning, we informed the kids about our association with the Kraken and that we’d be playing on turf rather than ice. I then inquired who had some experience playing a form of hockey. Surprisingly, about 90 percent of the kids had played it in their PE class, which was quite exciting. They even recognized our custom Kraken team-marked sticks as the ones they used in PE. Their enthusiasm was palpable.”

As the morning drills and scrimmages progressed, improvement was evident. A large number of kids enthusiastically participated, practicing their stickhandling at every chance they got. During breaks, many children would pick up their sticks and practice shooting at the goals. Some even attempted trick shots. The children expressed their enjoyment of watching Kraken games.

Parents whose children have a passion for sports, dance, or musical instruments will undoubtedly recognize the dedication it takes for children to voluntarily practice even when it’s not mandatory. This passion and self-motivation are characteristics that align with the goals of the King County Play Equity Coalition.

KCPEC, the group largely responsible for implementing a vision and mission outlined in the current four-year plan (2021 to 2024), is working tirelessly to increase the number of physically active boys and girls in King County. As we entered this decade, the coalition reported that only 19 percent of King County’s youth, or one in five children, were meeting the physical activity guidelines set by national health and fitness experts.

The proportion has risen, currently stated as 23 percent on the coalition website, but satisfaction levels remain low. This summer saw a 50 percent increase in camp attendees compared to the previous summer. Numerous reasons exist to endorse and expand sports sampling camps such as these. Research indicates that physical activity enhances academic performance, self-confidence, and resilience. It also strengthens the immune system and assists children in recovering from stress and trauma. The benefits extend beyond simply learning to enjoy the sport.

The KCPEC envisions a future where all young people in King County, especially those from historically overlooked groups, experience the life-changing advantages of play, sports, outdoor recreation, and physical activity. The coalition’s member organizations are committed to confronting and altering systems to redistribute power and position physical activity as a crucial element of health and youth development.

The next chapter of Kraken hockey starts now, be part of it. Season Ticket Memberships are available.