THE FOUNDATION
Our Beginning
It all began when Neil Walsky arrived in Szczecin, Poland in 2014 only to discover that there was no children’s ice hockey program. Neil Walsky had grown up playing ice hockey in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska and he wanted to give the children of Szczecin the same opportunity to play the sport that he loved. At his first organized training, only five players joined him on the ice! However, in only a few short years, attendance grew and he was able to establish a minor hockey program in Szczecin.
Our Responsibility
What began as a fun opportunity to show a few children a little ice hockey had grown into a responsibility to allow all children with an interest in hockey the ability to play. In 2018, we became the Szczecin Northstars Hockey Foundation and we dedicated ourselves to the growth and development of youth hockey in Szczecin. By doing so, we are able to give more players access to the game through funding from various public institutions and the generosity of individuals.
Our Present
The Szczecin Northstars are proud to have seen continued program growth throughout 2020. We have been doing our best to keep the children of our community healthy and active throughout an incredibly unpredictable time in their lives.
With nearly 60 active participants and new players entering our program each month, we continue to do our best to offer an engaging and unique program that focusses on athlete development and providing children with a positive sport experience.
Fundacja Northstars Szczecin Hokej
Foundation Board Members
The Szczecin Northstars Hockey Foundation is supported by our board members who graciously volunteer their time and energy to the growth of ice hockey in Szczecin.
President: Neil Walsky
Secretary: Piotr Kosiorowski
Foundation Council: Marcin Walkowiak, Bożena Kempa, Olgierd Ashuryk
Sister Program
The Szczecin Northstars have had the amazing opportunity to pair up with the Southern Rhode Island Youth Hockey Association to give our players the opportunity to interact with players in the USA. We plan to share hockey skills and language challenges! SRIYHA has plans to contribute to our growing hockey community. Thank you, SRIYHA!
