Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation gives hockey equipment to Mars schools
Mars Area Centennial School students are learning about the fundamentals of hockey using equipment donated through the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation’s PensFIT youth fitness program.
The PensFIT curriculum is designed to meet national guidelines while focusing on enhancing motor skills, movement patterns, performance and social development. Fifth- and sixth-graders at the centennial school are learning how to use a hockey stick by controlling the movement of a ball around cones in an obstacle course.
Josh Shwoebel, the district’s communications director, said in news release, in addition to lesson ideas for enhancing the school’s physical education curriculum, the program also provided the school with free floor hockey equipment, including sticks, balls, goals and pinnies.
“PensFIT is designed for students of all skill levels and does not require ice or prior hockey experience,” said Tyler Yaskula, health and physical education teacher at the school. “Its goal is to encourage healthy lifestyles, teamwork and an introduction to the sport of hockey in a fun, accessible way.”
Yaskula said the sport of hockey has grown in popularity among students at Mars Area School District, making the program engaging.
He added it has also impacted his curriculum, helping both students who play hockey, as well as students who have no knowledge of the game, stay physically active while having fun learning a new sport.
“Hockey is very popular in Mars. Students play for a number of different teams in the area,” Yaskula said. “PensFIT helps my curriculum because it is based right off the national standards and fits perfectly into the curriculum at Mars. The learning activities and drills that their curriculum provides allow students with all different skill levels to succeed.”
The Penguins Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable arm of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. It’s contributions and community initiatives over the years have included efforts to support children through youth hockey, education and community development programs.
“Students that play hockey can challenge themselves and make everything harder, while the students with no hockey experience can start off very basic and progress through harder challenges as their skill levels develop,” Yaskula said. “The goal of PensFIT is to encourage healthy lifestyles, teamwork and to introduce hockey to all students in a fun, accessible way.”
