New York Islanders' sponsor UBS, Bronx-based nonprofit partner to diversify hockey
NEW YORK - A partnership between the New York Islanders' sponsor and a Bronx-based nonprofit is bringing elite hockey training to kids of the city, who otherwise would not have access. One Harlem teen is skating his way to success with their help.
Lance Spencer started skating not long after he started walking, following his big brother LJ's footsteps.
"It just looked fun at the time, but over the years I grew to really love the sport," Spencer said.
The 17-year-old played in youth hockey leagues around the city, but to improve to the next level, Spencer faced obstacles he could not easily skate around.
"It's opportunities, it's who you know, and it's money," said Spencer.
"That's going to cost you $10,000 a year minimum," admitted Sean Grevy, founder of the 43Oak Foundation. "That's not including travel costs and other costs that are associated with that."
Grevy started 43Oak for kids like Spencer, providing ice time, transportation and equipment, paying league and tournament fees, even bringing professional players to coach.
The foundation gave Spencer the opportunity he needed when the world shut down.
"Skating is all he had known for ten plus years at that time, so he was very concerned, especially since a lot of teams kind of preselected players," said Spencer's mother, Marcy Dawson. "He didn't have a team to play with."
"When you have 300 kids trying out for a AAA team that only has 20 kids on the team, you'd better know somebody at the tryout who's at least going to take a look at you," said Grevy, "so we know those coaches."
Now, Spencer plays on the New Jersey Titans in the Prospects League and practices on pristine rinks like the one at American Dream.
"It's definitely a huge difference, like this ice looks perfect," Spencer said at the rink. "I'm not going to lie, like at other rinks you can't even see the lines, there's cracks in the ice. No, this looks nice."
Grevy has help to make these plays possible. Last year, New York Islanders arena sponsor UBS pledged $1 million towards a five-year partnership with 43Oak, offering up financial pros to advise the athletes.
"With all the resources we have, hopefully, we can help educate some of these kids that they can save their money," said UBS Global Head of Partnerships Greg Toskos, "and everybody knows the lifespan of an athlete is a short one. We want to make that money stretch as long as we can for them."
The tips come just in time for Spencer to consider monetizing his name, image and likeness.
"We'll see," said the teen. "Whatever the future holds."
He starts freshman year at Long Island University Post at the start of September.
"Fingers crossed," his mom said. "My hope is that he will experience skating on that team."
Whatever step comes next, Spencer already feels like a winner.
"Usually I was one of the only Black kids on my team up until maybe, I would say, three or four years ago," he said. "It started growing, and then now, today, I have like five."
The 43Oak Foundation works with hockey players from eighth grade through their senior year in college.
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