History of the S.K.A.T.E. Program

In 1993, S.K.A.T.E. began in the Armstrong Youth Hockey Association to encourage academic performance among youth hockey players. Merilee Reilly and Lynn Leopold were among a group of “hockey moms” who championed the effort for Armstrong.

“So much emphasis in youth hockey and all of youth sports is placed upon performance on the field of play,” said Leopold. “We wanted to create a program that placed greater emphasis on academic performance and recognized the sacrifices young student-athletes make to juggle schoolwork with an active sports lifestyle. We wanted to teach our kids better time management skills.”

Jordan Leopold and his long-time buddy, Pat O’Leary, were exposed to the S.K.A.T.E. program at the squirt level. Multi-sport athletes growing up, Leopold and O’Leary became outstanding multi-sport, scholar athletes, graduating with honors from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School.

Impressed with the impact this program had on academic performance among youth hockey players, the folks at Minnesota Hockey Journal (MHJ), in cooperation with the statewide governing body for hockey in Minnesota (Minnesota Hockey), have made it available to every youth hockey organization under the Minnesota Hockey umbrella.