DHD visited our location and invited the kids to join in a game! This was an unexpected surprise to our 5-11 year olds. They were so excited to play; a great opportunity! Happy that myself and staff were introduced to DHD; they have an amazing team that are there to help with the kids. Looking forward to another visit!!
The staff were very energetic and knowledgeable. The kids had a blast learning new skills and just having fun. I would definitely recommend Desert Hockey Development to any youth group or organization.
Growing up in Arizona, naturally you wouldn't think hockey is the first sport you'd play. I spent my summers and after schools playing street and ball hockey. An organization such as Desert Hockey Development allows children to learn the game of hockey and fall in love with it just like I did. Since becoming a board member for DHD I've had the opportunity to introduce and enrich hundreds of children through learning the game we all love.
DHD doesn't stop with just hockey, they are passionate about the community they serve and have volunteered many hours cleaning up parks, adopting families and refurbishing a local inline rink in Glendale. I'm proud and honored to be a part of Desert Hockey Development!
We love hockey! The type of people involved are great in the community and the sport is fun to watch. When it was time to downsize we knew where to donate our memorabilia. We know that this organization does great things for kids and hockey.
I became involved with Desert Hockey Development when it was in its infancy. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made!
The involvement with the parents and children that have been to our clinics has seriously made a huge impact in my life. The smile on a kids face the first time they score a goal, or help a teammate score is priceless. But so is seeing a child make friends and share in the joy of being part of something. We call that lighting the lamp, it's a hockey term that means scoring...but when the lamp is a child's face, it is SO much more than a simple goal in a game.
With DHD we teach children how to play ball hockey, but there is so much more to what we do. We help them learn valuable skills, patience, teamwork, listening and persistence.
We are grateful to work with amazing volunteers and parents, and blessed to have such a great group of amazing children.
All children can be great...they just need the opportunity. They just need their lamps to light up.
DHD has been a wonderful program for my children. One of our children went from being a shy child afraid to speak to adults and older children, to being a outgoing and engaged child.
The coaches spend time with each child and help them learn everything from how to hold a hockey stick to how to pass and how to celebrate after they score. They cheer for EVERYONE and it is infectious.
They always provide the kids plenty of water, Gatorade and they even feed the kids after the clinics. it is not just a sports event, it is a family activity. The staff encourages parents, and grand parents to get involved.
It is easy to see that the folks from DHD LOVE hockey. But it is just as easy to see that they love children and children having fun.
DHD is such an amazing group of people my daughter had never touched a hockey stick until DHD put one in her hands and since then she has gained some awesome skills which gave her the opportunity to play ball hockey with the Lady Coyotes and they won a gold metal which is something she'll never forget thanks to DHD
I could go on and on about how amazing DHD is so I highly recommend that you come out to one of there clinics trust me you will not regret it!!
The group that puts on the DHD clinics has done a great job. They have one goal in mind and that is to grow the sport of hockey in the desert. They do so by donating their time, money, resources, energy and love of the game to kids who might not otherwise get the opportunity to experience it. Every clinic my family had gone to was organized and had a purpose. The people in charge were knowledgeable and it was an overall great experience. I wish the group continued success in growing this wonderful sport in Arizona.
Desert Hockey provides a rewarding experience for children. My sons have come to love hockey and I hope this year my daughters will participate as well.
Desert Hockey Development, DHD for short, is an Arizona incorporated 501(c)(3) non-profit youth outreach organization founded in 2013. We are dedicated to building youth hockey in Arizona and eventually the rest of the Southwest US through providing free ball hockey opportunities.
The sport of hockey is our tool to work with boys and girls aged 4-14 to help them build their fitness, self-esteem, accountability, and teamwork while having a great time. Because hockey is our passion, it’s our tool of choice to emphasize the character of sports, respect, and the spirit of winning (and losing) as much as the technical skills.
We feel the core components of being a well-rounded player have little to do with skill level and much more to do with attitude.
DHD provides opportunities, without any pressure to compete or prior experience, for kids to explore their capabilities by playing a sport that’s a LOT of fun.
Our target demographic is kids that otherwise wouldn’t have many chances to experiment with different sports, especially sports with expensive equipment requirements.
Our clinics are always free, always well attended, and always a lot of fun. We built our presence in Glendale and worked with the city to improve their inline hockey facility and increase its utilization. Now, we’re working to expand our reach throughout Arizona.