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on the fly USA HOCKEY PEOPLE & PROGRAMS When A Hockey Game Is More Than Just A Game Youth hockey players from California and Minnesota enjoy the trip of a lifetime. AMERICAN KIDS ENJOY ICY EXCHANGE IN RUSSIA W ith pink tape on their sticks and a bigger goal in mind than just winning a hockey game, players from the Palisades Predators and Montclair Blues faced off on Oct. 21 to help raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. The Tri-State youth hockey organizations reached out to family and friends to gain support with all donations sent to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help in the fight against breast cancer. "I thought this would be a good way of showing the kids how to give back," said Chris Varmon, head coach of the Predators, a recreational team from West Nyack, N.Y. When Varmon brought the idea to the boys, he was shocked with their response. The players were excited about the idea and suggested wearing pink helmets and pink skates to show support. "I didn't think a group of teenagers would be so enthusiastic to support the idea the way they did," Varmon said. "It made me so proud of them." When he approached the Montclair club of northern New Jersey, Varmon found an organization with the same attitude of giving back to the community. "We want the kids to understand it doesn't matter how young or old you are in a community, you can still give back in a big way if you come together with others and have a common goal," said Blues team manager Susan Durante. Through their efforts, the two teams raised $2,880 for the Susan B. Komen Foundation, and the respect and admiration of friends and family alike. One of the most endearing qualities about sports is its ability to transcend different cul- tures and language barriers. Whether it's chess, soccer or ice hockey, sports can bring people together from dif- ferent countries on a united field of play. Such a cultural exchange took place this past October as 20 youth hockey play- ers from California and Minnesota spent 10 days in Moscow as part of a cultural exchange program. The 10 boys and 10 girls, along with four coaches, trav- eled to Moscow as Youth Sport Envoys courtesy of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in conjunction with USA Hockey. the U.S., Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission's goals of strengthening relationships between the two countries. In 2011, the program brought 24 Russian hockey players and coaches to Washington, D.C. "I had such a great time on The program supported the trip," said Ben Cencer, a senior from Clear Lake, Minn. "It far exceeded what I was expecting, and I would not trade the experience for the world." SAVING LIVES A BIGGER GOAL FOR N.H. NETMINDER Sometimes a save is more than just a save. Just ask Colin Seeley, a 14-year-old goaltender with the Seacoast Spartans Bantam team. Seeley, a freshman at Exeter High School in New Hampshire, teamed up with other area goalies with a common goal in mind: preventing teen suicide. Seeley began to explore the idea of suicide prevention as a way to honor his former hockey teammate, Connor Ball, a 14-year-old Exeter High freshman who took his life in October 2011. "Sometimes guidance counselors or teachers or adults don't really know what's going on, but friends do," Seeley said of the program. 12 wouldn't be able to participate in the walk, but it turned out that he was able to attend both events, and raised $2,895 for his cause. Of the money Seeley raised, Seeley took pledges for his game on Sept. 30 at The Rinks at Exeter against Manchester, while goalies for other teams took pledges for other games throughout October. Seeley decided to combine fundraising with hockey when he realized he had a game scheduled on the same day as the NAMIWalks NH, being held in Concord. He thought he $1,800 will pay for youth leadership training, and the rest going toward training other community members, potentially including coaches, police officers, clergy members and social workers. Along with Seeley and his family, Seeley's coaches have also been spreading the word about the fundraising effort. "[Seeley] is a unique kid," said Chris Grassie, director of the Spartans. "I'm not at all surprised that he's grabbing the bull by the horns." Along with being able to skate on international ice and participate in intrasquad scrimmages, the American kids toured some Moscow landmarks such as the Kremlin and Red Square. They even attended a Kontinental Hockey League game and met some of their favorite NHL stars, includ- ing Alex Ovechkin, Sergei Fedorov, Ilya Bryzgalov and Pavel Datsyuk. It was a trip that Cencer and his teammates will never forget and are truly thankful to be a part of. Hockey, Minnesota Hockey, the U.S. State Department, and anyone else who helped put the trip together," Cencer said. "It really was the trip of a lifetime." "I'm thankful to USA DECEMBER.2012 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS COURTESY OF Ioanna Raptis; Dana Olenak; Sue Durante