A rink back from brink

John Hargrove noticed that his grandson had been acting strangely for the last few months.

Rodney Hargrove, the 11-year-old in question, actually can't wait to get to his homework these days.

What's going on? Since Rodney signed on to the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation program, it seems that he can't get enough of the ice.

"The program has taught him a sense of discipline that I hadn't seen from him before," said John Hargrove, of West Oak Lane. "Now he comes home from school and gets all of his homework done right away because he wants to get to hockey practice."

More than 90 percent of National Hockey League players are white, and the Snider program seeks to introduce hockey to a more diverse playing audience.

Rodney, who is African American, is among 3,000 children who have signed up for the program. About 60 percent of them are nonwhite.

Ice time can be a tremendous expense, but the foundation has poured $13.5 million into a renovation project that revived four declining rinks in the Philadelphia area.

Tarken Ice Rink in Oxford Circle is the most recent to get the Snider overhaul. It cost the foundation $3.2 million to make it fully operational. On the horizon are plans for more renovations, with Rizzo Rink in South Philadelphia and sites in Chester tabbed as prospective locations by foundation president and chief executive officer Scott Tharp.

Before the renovations, each rink was open-air, making them usable only in the cold season. Now youngsters in the program can play all year in state-of-the-art facilities that include locker rooms and computer labs.

After reopening to the public on Friday, Tarken Ice Rink held a tournament for all players in the Ed Snider Youth Hockey system on Saturday.

"The difference between the rinks before and after renovation is amazing," said Colleen Hayes, 30, of Mayfair.

She says that her son Thomas Jr., 6, has made new friends with children of all ages because of the program, and that he has enjoyed his time on the ice.

"The cool thing about Snider hockey is that even though Tarken isn't actually my home rink, they all feel like home to me," said Matt Braun, 40, who has volunteered with the program for seven years. "When parents see the rinks being renovated, it shows them that people are willing to invest in their community. This in turn makes them want to invest their own time in the sport for their children."

The foundation was started in 2005 by Flyers founder and owner Ed Snider, with the goal of providing hockey free of charge to urban youths who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate.

"When we see how the children progress and are doing so well off the ice in school, there's no greater feeling or reward," Snider said during Friday's opening ceremony at Tarken. "I am so proud and I thank everyone who helped make this happen."