PEER - new co-oper­a­tion project with kinder­garten programme

ENZO, the Ice hockey Youth Centre East, has developed entirely new approaches to co-operation between ice hockey, kindergartens and schools in recent years. Ice hockey has been integrated into regular primary school lessons, while a Europe-wide unique ice hockey kindergarten programme also introduces the youngest age groups to our sport.

This wealth of experience will now be used to roll out these recruitment methods throughout Austria as part of the co-operation project “PEER – Programme for the Establishment of Ice Hockey Regions”. As part of this co-operation between ÖEHV and all three umbrella associations (ASKÖ, ASVÖ and SPORTUNION), 2022 new kindergarten programmes will be launched and delivered in Carinthia, Lower Austria and Tyrol.

The relevant discussions have already been held with the provincial ice hockey associations in all three federal states, with the municipalities of Steindorf (K), St. Pölten (NÖ) and Telfs (T) selected as the first delivery locations. Support from the municipalities has already been secured, and intensive preparations are currently under way to launch the programme with partner clubs from autumn 2022.

Regional development coaches Benjamin Schennach (T) and Florian Mühlstein (K) play an important role in the practical delivery of the programme. Both visited ENZO in Vienna a few days ago and gained a detailed first-hand impression of how the programme is being implemented. In Steindorf, coaching legend Walter Grud has also been carrying out excellent organisational groundwork for weeks.