ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. (7News) — The Washington Capitals hosted the Rising Stars Academy this weekend at their home ice facility in Arlington, Virginia. The program specializes in providing hockey skills and development for local hockey players of color.

Lead Instructor Bryan King, who coaches at Gonzaga said the goal of the academy is multi-layered:

The message we want to send across is literally just bringing all kids together that look alike to be able to stay in the game, regardless of what we face on or off, guys, this Academy teaches the kids not only on ice development, but also off ice development.

Players had the chance to hear from Capitals’ alum and current Monumental Sports analyst Devante Smith-Pelly.

“I think it’s important to tell the kids, you might be in some uncomfortable maybe positions walking into a room where you’re the only person who looks a certain way,” Smith-Pelley said. “But continue to be yourself, and that will draw people to you.”

More than 120 participants learned from local coaches including some coaches on the Capitals’ staff. 15-year-old Elizabeth Young from the Tucker Road Ice Dogs program said this camp is benefitting her in many ways.

“It’s important for me, because then I get to play with other people who look like me,” she said. “Because on my own team, there’s only one other black person and like the team to play against, there’s not a lot of people that look like me. So, it’s just nice to be able to play with people who look like me.”

The participants are between 9-17 years old and range in skills from the travel player level to the high-level house players.

Many of the players participating, including 14-year-old Alix Kennerly of the Montgomery Ice Devils, said the program is all about inclusion.

Alix: For me, it’s like the greatest sport ever, so it’s really fun, and I love just like meeting people through hockey and making connections. And I really enjoy playing.

The free co-ed camp is funded through the Washington Capitals Capital Impact Fund; it was created in 2020 to help make youth camps more affordable, aims to help minority youth players reach their greatest potential, and create more equal playing fields for all.

“Of course their main goal is to teach kids about hockey, but I also appreciate that they want them to learn about opportunities outside of sports,” said Doxie McCoy, a Washington, D.C, native and original member of Boston College’s inaugural women’s hockey team.

In addition to the on-ice clinic, participants got a officiating 101 on how to address various in-game situations, including addressing racial incidents by Brad Howington, Director of Evaluations & Development for the Southeastern Hockey Officials Association.

Sunday’s clinic was the fifth installment of the Academy after continued interest from players and parents.

One of the parents, told 7News the program empowers his youth player:

“To come together and hear that message from other players that have the same experience, where they might only be the only African-American player or minority player on their team, or maybe there’s two, to have a whole room full of players that can validate, reinforce each other, to know that they’re hockey players and they can be the best hockey player in the room, no matter who you know, no matter who they’re sitting around is, I think it’s very validating.”

Tennessee State University ice hockey head coach Duante’ Abercrombie coaches the program and he was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the camp. Abercrombie said the feedback he’s received from the camp has been worth it:

“Confidence is the biggest thing that they come back and say, ‘Coach, I was more confident this past season than I ever have been with hockey,’ and it’s because of the conversations that we had,” Abercrombie said. “Here is the confidence that they built here with the rising stars, that they were able to take back to their teams and have more successful seasons. And that’s what we do it for.”