Anaheim Ducks Showcase the STEM of Hockey

By Kim Latour, Director Community Investment

Kids love sports, but they also need to learn about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). What better way to combine the two than with Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds STEM in Sports Hockey program with NHL team the Anaheim Ducks.  In partnership with the Samueli Foundation and the Ducks, Time Warner Cable created a national PSA with the Ducks center, Ryan Getzlof and curriculum of the science behind hockey that can be used by educators, after school programs and parents.

On Tuesday, January 13, 2015, Time Warner Cable hosted over 100 youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove and Redlands at the Honda Center for an afternoon to learn all about the STEM in hockey.  Upon arrival, members of the Boys & Girls Clubs were ushered in to a special presentation featuring two STEM in hockey experts. George Parros, Anaheim Ducks alumnus, Princeton graduate and one of the most celebrated players in the history of the club, and Brian Hayward, TV sports anchor, Cornell graduate and former NHL goaltender, served as emcee. They were on deck to discuss and demonstrate the important roles that science, technology, engineering, and math play in everything seen and done on the ice.  “I was a doer, a tinkerer, the kind of kid who needed to take things apart to figure them out and see them for myself. We’re showing science in action here to get beyond the books” stated Parros.

Following the presentation, the Boys and Girls Club youth had the opportunity to experience firsthand what they had just learned. George Parros, Brian Hayward and 20 TWC employee volunteers teamed up to guide the youth with hands-on activities, which showcased the relevance of STEM concepts in hockey. Rotating among three activity stations outside the Honda Center, the kids had a chance to review the design of a hockey stick, shoot pucks of different weights, and even play goalie in full-on goalie equipment.

To wrap up this day of fun and learning, the kids gathered together for a VIP tour of the Honda Center. Inside the home of the Anaheim Ducks, they got a close-up look at the ice rink and also learned the science and technology behind the ice-making Zamboni machine.  One of Boys & Girls Club youth stated “It opens a new door, I never really thought of that, but when George was talking, I realized that there is science in everything”.  SCORE! That really sums up the purpose of this event – sparking interest and new ideas for kid’s education and future career pathways.

Click here to see the story on TWC's Untangled.