ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota may be the state of hockey, but not everyone here participates in the popular sport.

My favorite part is scoring

What we know:

Amir Kadir is about to start kindergarten in the fall, but he’s already following in the footsteps of his two older brothers, by learning the ABCs of hockey.

“He’s done sitting there watching his older brother play. He’s ready to be on the ice,” said Amir’s mother, Ramla Ibraham.

Welcoming ice

The backstory:

Amir is one of more than 50 total kids ages 5 to 8 who are part of the Minnesota Wild‘s Hockey Is For Me program at the team’s practice facility, Tria Rink in downtown St. Paul.

The four weekly sessions are designed to introduce the sport to children of color who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to get out on the ice.

“As most people know, hockey is primarily a white sport, and we’re doing anything we can to even move the needle a little bit,” said Gabby Billing, the Minnesota Wild’s Hockey Partnerships Manager.

In fact, according to Minnesota Hockey, 86% of children 8 and under who are involved in hockey in the state are white.

So, Hockey Is For Me provides ice time and equipment to grow the sport in diverse communities, all free of charge.

“Everybody knows hockey is an expensive sport, so that’s naturally a barrier in itself. But also a lot of these kids just didn’t grow up around it or have maybe never even seen the inside of a hockey rink before,” said Billing.

Amazing opportunity

What they’re saying:

Growing up in Ethiopia, Amir’s mother wasn’t familiar with hockey before moving to Minnesota.

Now she can’t imagine her childrens’ lives without it.

“It’s a great opportunity that they’re opening the door for a lot of kids of color who are ready to play the sport, and we do appreciate whoever created this program,” Ibraham said.

If any of the young skaters want to continue with hockey, the Wild will connect them with a youth hockey association in their area and even give them a grant up to $250 to help cover any first year fees. 

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