Boston Bruins defenseman Jordan Harris traded in pucks for the pigskin at Garvey Park on Sunday. Cassidy McNeeley photo
SCORE Boston hosted a free sports day at Garvey Park last Sunday (Aug. 9) and 35 or so girls ages 6 to 14 accepted the invitation to play hockey, lacrosse, and rugby alongside Boston-based Olympian and professional athletes.
Founded in 1995, SCORE Boston aims to empower Greater Boston youth to discover their potential through hockey. While it is one of the most expensive youth sports to pay, SCORE believes hockey is a powerful vehicle for change. By making it accessible, SCORE hopes to help young athletes see a future beyond their current circumstances.
For all that, on Sunday, the SCORE team, led by director of Hockey Operations Courtney Moulton, added a few more sports to the mix.
“We got a grant to start a new girls-only program. Right now it’s co-ed,” said the 31-year-old Moulton. “I wanted to get our name out there a little bit, show people in the community who we are. So I thought of this idea of getting the pro women’s sports in Boston to come down and do a clinic for kids in the community.”
Megan Keller played with a youngster on the O’Sullivan court at Garvey Playground on Sunday evening. Cassidy McNeeley photo
She added: “The sports we got are traditionally not sports that kids in the Dorchester, Mattapan area are going to play. Lacrosse, ice hockey, rugby. We got super lucky that all the professional teams bought in and sent athletes to do a free clinic with the girls.”
From 4 p.m. to 6: 30 p.m., the girls rotated through three stations, where they learned new skills from elite athletes, including lacrosse star Charlotte North, rugby players from the Boston Banshees, and professional hockey players Megan Keller, Cayla Barnes, Shay Maloney, and Jordan Harris.
But before they got to playing, they had some gear to pick up. “Every kid went home with a lacrosse stick, every kid went home with a hockey stick. That’s huge. Now they can continue playing those sports on their own,” said Moulton, who played hockey and lacrosse at Salve Regina University.
After picking up their new STX Exult Rise lacrosse sticks, the youngest athletes started the afternoon off on the turf with Boston Guard captain Charlotte North.
“It’s really special to hear their reaction to the sport for the first time,” said North, also a member of Team USA. “A lot of them haven’t heard of lacrosse; a lot of them haven’t played it, but they get to touch a stick and feel what it feels like to be a lacrosse player. I think it’s so special. This is one of my favorite things to do.”
The girls spent the next half hour learning the basics of throwing, catching, shooting, and cradling.
“It’s one thing to know these sports are around, but to meet the athletes in person and actually connect with them in a small group setting, learn from them about the sport, but also just connect with them is another,” Moulton said.
“Giving kids that actually live in the Boston communities the opportunity to meet some of these athletes and to see them in person, and learn about the sports that they are playing is super cool.”
Just across the field, another group of girls was being introduced to rugby by Boston Banshees manager Sarah “Sharkie” Harkness and athletes Eliza Altobelli, Caitlin Weigel, and Kaitlyn Sosa.
To get started, the pros partnered up with the players and worked on stationary passing. “We love getting together with the other professional teams and being able to do these kinds of round robin clinics, especially where students may not have access to these types of sports because they are not mainstream sports,” said Harkness.
Boston Bruins defenseman Jordan Harris traded in pucks for the pigskin and got active, too.
“I think it’s amazing for the kids to have role models like them here and show them that women are doing amazing things in the world through sports,” he said.
Moulton said that Harris has been “huge” for SCORE. “He partnered with us this year, and he’s been awesome. He’s a really good role model for all our kids. Especially for them to see someone like them playing the sport they want to play is huge. They don’t get that a lot for hockey, especially.”
When Harris was done with rugby, he joined PWHL stars and Olympic gold medalists Keller and Barnes on the O’Sullivan Rink. There they ran drills with the kids and even hopped into a scrimmage.
“Hockey’s an expensive sport, and it’s hard to get into,” admitted Keller. “If you’re able to make it more accessible for kids that otherwise won’t have the chance to try out the sport or play in it, I think that’s so important.”
She added, “I remember growing up being their age and looking up to the women who played hockey before me. To have role models inspire me, if I can do that for the next generation, it’s something that’s important.”
To register, visit scorebostonhockey.org.
