Last week I came across a couple articles and a video on hockey development and hockey training that I thought were well done and wanted to share with you. Before we get to that, I wanted to ask a favor of you.

About a year ago, my friend Sarah Cahill first told me about a group in Boston known as Inner City Weightlifting. Sarah is an incredible strength coach, but also the most compassionate person I know. It did not surprise me at all that she would want to get involved with this type of effort. ICW is one of the most amazing organizations I’ve ever heard of.

Check out their mission statement:

“Our mission is to reduce violence and promote professional, personal and academic achievement among urban youth. We work with young people at the highest risk for violence in order to reduce youth violence by getting our students off the streets and into the gym, where they are empowered with the confidence and positive support needed to say no to violence and yes to opportunity.”

Lofty task, especially in the Boston areas they’re targeting. What doesn’t come through in the mission statement is the actual implementation. The founders, Jon and Josh Feinman, would literally drive into the most dangerous areas to pick up kids that couldn’t find a way to get there themselves. They’re pulling kids out of gang-driven, futureless areas, giving them a same place to spend time, teaching positive mental skills and life habits (while training) and providing kids with an opportunity to become strength coaches by sponsoring certifications and education opportunities for them. They’re also, quite impressively, breaking down social barriers, as the urban youth turned S&C coaches have opportunities to train clients from all walks of life (earning an income), but notably executives from Microsoft. Yes, former (and what would be future) gang members, training Microsoft execs.

 

Jon shown here with an ICW disciple.

Check out the feature ESPN did on ICW: ESPN Feature on ICW

The weekend I filmed my Optimizing Movement DVDs in New Hampshire, I had an opportunity to stop by UMass Lowell on my drive home and sit in on a few presentations that Kevin Carr, Brendon Rearick, Ana Tocco, and Henry Lau (I’m sure amongst others) helped organize. Jon and Josh, along with Reggie Talbert (former gang member turned GM and Coach at ICW) and Joe Sierra (an ICW Coach and now Assistant Manager) had an opportunity to introduce themselves and tell us about their story. Honestly, I was fighting back tears through their entire talk, unsuccessfully (one dropped), which ultimately ended a 7.5 year no-cry streak that was reset shortly after watching The Notebook.

There’s nothing to be embarrassed about here…So…where do you fit in? If you’ve been reading my site for a while, you know that I almost never ask for favors. In fact, I think the single other time I did make a request, it was to help sponsor my dad who was doing his first 100-mile bike ride to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. Likewise, this request has nothing to do with me, but is an opportunity to support an amazing cause that I believe in. My friend Anthony Renna, after hearing about ICW’s story, decided to dedicate an entire Strength Coach Podcast to help spread the word about their cause. He also went a step further and had co-branded (SC Podcast and ICW) t-shirts made. THIS is where you come in. The t-shirts are available for purchase here: Limited Edition ICW Fundraiser T-Shirt. They’re only $25 and all of the proceeds go to ICW. I just bought 6 for myself and coworkers at Endeavor. If they sell 500 shirts, they raise over $8,000 for ICW! That would be an amazing contribution!

SC Podcast Logo on the Front; ICW on the back.

However, if each of you reading this buys ONE, WE can single-handedly raise over $24,000! 

$25 gets you a sweet t-shirt, and helps support an unbelievable cause, providing opportunities for inner city kids to not only get access to a safer environment, but to change the course of their future permanently.

Even better, if you buy a shirt and email me the receipt, I’ll hook you up with a FREE copy of Ultimate Hockey Training AND if you’re local to the Mid-Atlantic area and can make the trip to see me at Endeavor Sports Performance in Pitman, NJ, I’ll assess you (or your kid) and write a 1-month training program for you for absolutely FREE!

If you aren’t local to Endeavor, but would like some feedback on your exercise technique, just shoot video of yourself performing the exercises you want feedback with and send them to me (or post them on youtube and send me the links) and I’ll provide feedback and a few coaching cues to help make sure you’re getting the most out of your lifts. This is a GREAT deal! Basically you get an awesome t-shirt, a great hockey training resource, and 30-days of coaching for $25!

This is a cause that means a lot to me, and if we team up together we can have a HUGE impact on an incredible organization and the kids surrounding one of the greatest hockey cities in the world. Click the link below to grab your shirt today and then forward me the receipt (kn@kevinneeld.com)!

Grab your shirt here >> Limited Edition ICW Fundraiser T-Shirt

Tomorrow I’ll be back with a few great hockey development resources that you’ll want to see!

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
OptimizingMovement.com
UltimateHockeyTraining.com

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