The newest Philadelphia Flyer, goalie Ray Emery, laces up the skates and practices with young men and women from the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation.

Important components of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation are academic support and life skills lessons. Emery, who joined the Flyers this off-season as a free agent, will participate in on-ice drills with the ESYHF youngsters and encourage their development as hockey players and as productive citizens. He will also speak to them about personal life challenges and experiences at the conclusion of their on-ice session.

Philadelphia Flyers founder Ed Snider created the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation in 2005 as a personal commitment to provide opportunities to those who would otherwise not have such options. The Foundation has experienced rapid growth and uses hockey as its hook to gain and hold the attention of its young people, bringing inner-city children together and resulting in positive youth development.

The mission of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation is to use the sport of hockey to help educate young people on how to succeed in the game of life.

Friday, August 28, 2009