Youth Hockey Now

Supporting Youth Hockey in the Mid-Atlantic

Philanthropy Spotlight

There are plenty of ice hockey charities out there, and choosing just one to support can be difficult.
Keep reading to learn about some incredible charities and find out how you can help!

Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation

Removing financial barriers to youth hockey, the greatest game on earth.

About the Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation

Black Bear Sports Group (BBSG) is a sports and entertainment investment group, focused on supporting ice arenas and youth hockey organizations in metropolitan, diverse areas. The group’s non-profit Youth Hockey Foundation arm adds new context to this goal by filling the arenas with eager young players of all backgrounds and experience levels.

Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation seeks to grow the game of hockey while ushering in a new generation of players. To accomplish this, the Foundation provides financial support to its applicants who demonstrate a love for the game but lack the resources to keep playing.

Since 2015, Black Bear Sports Group has reached beyond its Bethesda, Maryland headquarters to impact young players and communities in the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic United States. And, with the Foundation’s kickoff in 2020, now is a great time to support this incredible organization.

What does Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation offer?

Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation aims to help children, families, communities, and the sport of hockey

Children can use ice hockey to learn about teamwork and competition, develop life skills, and find a place where they belong. 

Families gain quality time and improved relationships through those teams, meeting other parents who want their children to succeed.

Communities see the formation of safe, secure ice rinks where hardcore players and novices alike can strap on skates and have fun. 

Hockey is disseminated through the community, trickling down to the individual level. 

Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation makes ice hockey affordable, available, and accessible, introducing it as an empowering sport with life-long staying power. 

How to get involved with Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation

If you want to empower hockey players of all backgrounds, donate to Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation through their secure web form. And, if your community has an ice rink in need, reach out to learn more about Black Bear Sports Group!

USA Hockey Foundation

The USA Hockey Foundation […] provides long-range financial support for USA Hockey and promotes the growth of hockey in the United States.

About the USA Hockey Foundation

As the “non-profit philanthropic arm of USA Hockey,” the USA Hockey Foundation is America’s premier organization to promote ice hockey. Since 1989, the Foundation has sought to make ice hockey a more affordable and widespread sport, drawing in players of all age and experience levels. 

To accomplish their goals on the national level, the USA Hockey Foundation established six areas of focus:

  1. Participation – Increasing diversity and overall participation
  2. Opportunity – Providing every community with equal, equitable access to ice hockey 
  3. Safety – Working with the Mayo Clinic to teach injury prevention and mitigation
  4. Player Development – Training players of all levels so that the game can be fully enjoyed
  5. Education – Providing long-term training and education for players
  6. Commemoration – Recognizing the generosity of donors and the talents of young athletes

Efforts to promote one focus area cross-pollinate, creating a well-rounded program that has benefited players around the nation for 30 years. Given that the organization is the nonprofit arm of USA Hockey, donors can rest assured that their generosity will make a big impact!

What does the USA Hockey Foundation offer?

The USA Hockey Foundation fulfills each of its six focus areas by making grants to organizations whose values align with their own. Some of those funds include:

  1. Brianna Deck Youth Girls Hockey Fund
  2. Disabled Hockey Fund
  3. Friends of Women’s Hockey Fund
  4. Goaltending Development Fund
  5. Raise the Flag Fund
  6. Youth Hockey Development Fund

How to get involved with the USA Hockey Foundation

There are so many different ways to donate to the USA Hockey Foundation. General options include sending donations by mail, telephone, or online submission. Be sure to visit the site to learn more about donation requests, stock gifts, and the Heritage Society.

NextGen AAA Foundation

“The mission of the NextGen AAA Foundation is to provide mentoring, education, and hockey programs to diverse, low-income, and at-risk youth throughout North America.”

About the NextGen Foundation

While many hockey charities make broad strokes, NextGen focuses on the most underserved players and populations. The process is two-fold:  

Firstly, NextGen strives to make ice hockey a more accessible sport. NextGen achieves this by supplying hockey players with equipment, identifying hockey-friendly rinks, and increasing athletic participation for a diverse population.

Secondly, the NextGen Foundation provides a well-rounded experience for players, emphasizing the importance of athletic camaraderie by promoting academic excellence. Participants learn more than the rules of ice hockey—they receive tutoring, mentoring, and professional and personal development experiences. Through these programs, NextGen hopes to improve the lives of players on and off the ice.

Bryce Salvador, a former professional ice hockey player, joined NextGen in 2019 as the foundation’s NHL liaison. Much of NextGen’s growth is accomplished via grassroots initiatives and word-of-mouth advertising, but NHL community programs are becoming NextGen’s bread and butter. Once kids get a chance to play, they’re hooked—and the program gives back to them in ways that they’d never have imagined.

As Bryce Salvador puts it, “NextGen uses hockey as the conduit to have kids excel in academics.” This excellence comes about through support, including supplemented hockey tuition and academic coaching.

What does the NextGen Foundation offer?

  • Educational resources for athletic and academic endeavors
  • Free or subsidized hockey instruction, equipment, and practice
  • Guidance counseling for higher education

How to get involved with the NextGen Foundation

Want to get involved with the NextGen AAA Foundation? Bryce Salvador suggests reaching out to the foundation’s board. Take time to learn about NextGen’s various initiatives and programs, and learn about how you can help!