As Columbus continues to grow as a great hockey city, the need for youth hockey and its development also grows.
Since the Blue Jackets were founded more than 20 years ago, the team and community have instituted numerous learn-to-play programs and entry-level opportunities, but there seemed to be a gap between when kids first stepped on the ice and when they laced up skates for the high school stage.
Hoping to bridge that disconnect, the Blue Jackets Hockey League was implemented in 2022. The Blue Jackets Hockey League is a recreational program in central Ohio that welcomes boys and girls players ages 5 to 14. With approximately 1,600 youth members, the league is the next step in player development for kids who have completed the learn-to-play program.
“What we do is continue playing after the learn-to-play phase,” said Dave Caruso, senior director of the Blue Jackets' amateur hockey program. “They have a learn-to-play phase program, which is steps one, two and three to get kids into hockey and improve their skills. Once they get into Hockey 3, they can join the BJHL. So there's that requirement to join, but after that it's an easy transition.”
The league structure follows the USA Development Model combined with the USA Hockey Association's long-term athlete development principles, with the goal of getting more Americans to “Play, Love and Excel” in the sport of ice hockey.
“The BJHL follows the ADM principles, which are focused on delivering great youth sports experiences,” said Ken Martell, senior director of player and coach development at USA Hockey. “For example, the five elements of quality practice at any age are fun, challenge, a game atmosphere, continuous decision-making and repetition without monotony.”
With teams ranging from under-6 to under-14, the BJHL sets itself apart by prioritizing training appropriate to the age and developmental stage of the child. Programs that adopt this philosophy have seen significant increases in player participation and performance levels.
“The most important thing is to do things that are appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the kids,” Caruso said. “That's our guiding principle in all of our activities and programs, because at the end of the day, we want all of our kids to play hockey and stay in the sport.”
