Off the Ice: Snider Hockey’s Community Impact

Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education (Snider) was created by the late Philadelphia Flyers Chairman, Ed Snider, in 2005 as his personal commitment to teach children important life lessons and empower them to build healthy, happy, productive lives. Their mission: to create opportunities for under-resourced youth of the Greater Philadelphia Region to prosper in life.

Snider Hockey not only gives players on-ice opportunities, but also involves them in off-ice community-service activities to help build and strengthen their character. Let’s check out some of their upcoming off-ice activities this season:

This past weekend, the 18U team focused their community service efforts on giving back to Snider directly through a mentorship project. The players created "buddy bags" for the travel 8U players to inspire them to remain involved in Snider throughout their youth hockey careers. The 18U players wrote letters about their experience playing for Snider and how being part of the organization has impacted them since they first joined. They also assembled gift bags for the 8U players, which included items that the 18U players considered essential for on-ice success (e.g., clear tape, pre-game snacks, and a street-hockey ball for stick-handling practice). This event gave the 18U players a mentorship role: to reflect on their time at Snider and to share advice and support with the newest travel players from the perspective of the most experienced team.

Coming up in a few weeks, Snider 16U will be partnering with Sharing Excess. Sharing Excess is a non-profit national organization focused on redistributing food to neighbors across the country, with no cost or questions asked. On Saturday, December 13th, Snider’s 16U team will work with Sharing Excess by helping to coordinate a pop-up food market in West Philadelphia. The players will act as volunteers and will assist with setting up the food tents and tables, putting together produce boxes, and distributing food out to community members throughout the morning.

Looking ahead - A highlight of the season at Snider Hockey is Academic All-Star Weekend! Annually in May, Snider celebrates its student–athletes’ success in the classroom by hosting a fun weekend of hockey and activities — a way to show how much they value academic excellence alongside on-ice development. The Academic All-Star program was created to encourage academic achievement and excellence. Each year, high-achieving students in 10U and above are invited to participate and on average, about 73% of Snider students achieve all “A”s and “B”s annually, while many show improvement each marking period. During the weekend celebration, students receive an Academic All-Star jersey, a personalized certificate, compete on the ice, and take part in engaging academic activities off the ice. For both staff and families, this event is a highlight of the year — a true reflection of what makes Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education unique.

Ultimately, Snider Hockey empowers its players not just on the ice—but also off the ice, developing character and community through meaningful service.