Sharks in the parks.

Traditional Shark Definition: Shark (~shark): Any of numerous marine elasmobranch fishes of medium to large size that have a fusiform body, lateral gill clefts and a tough, usually dull gray skin roughened by minute tubercles, are typically active, voracious and rapacious predators.

1994 Shark Definition: Shark (~shark): A tremendously successful hockey club based in northern California which uses all resources, including local park and recreation centers, to promote the sport of hockey.

In May 1990, the National Hockey League (NHL) expanded their horizons by awarding a hockey team to San Jose, California, to be called the Sharks. Many skeptics laughed, wondering how hockey would succeed in northern California, a traditional non-hockey community which lost its predecessor hockey team, the California Golden Seals, to Cleveland following the 1976-77 season. (Be advised, the Golden Seals most memorable marketing program in their ten-year history was a brief period where the players were required to wear white skates during games. Not only was this somewhat of an embarrassment for the players, but a detriment to their ability to play the game as well. Players claimed their feet got "lost in the ice.")

What was going to ensure that hockey would be successful in the Bay area? Certainly a plan stronger than introducing white skates. The first stroke of genius was selecting the name and developing the most popular logo in almost all of sports. The result: retail sales of merchandise in the United States and Canada was near $150 million, greater than any team in professional sports except the NBA's three-time champion Chicago Bulls! But the sales of merchandise alone would not guarantee fan attendance and interest.

Focus on Kids

The Sharks' success can also be traced to their Community Development Office, led by Alysse Soll. Obviously, if the Sharks were to draw fans to the games and have people watch and listen to their broadcasts, they would have to understand and like the game. But where should the emphasis go? Seniors, adults, teens or kids? The Sharks chose wisely in focusing on kids ages six to 16. The reasoning? Kids get their parents interested. Parents take kids to games. The program? A street hockey program called Sharks & Parks.[TM]

For those of you unfamiliar with street hockey, here's a brief overview: Street hockey mimics ice hockey except players wear sneakers instead of skates and the game is played on a non-ice surface. There are six players per side--three forwards, two defensemen, and one goalie--all equipped with a hockey stick. The object of the game is to score more goals than your opponent. A goal is scored by shooting a rubber puck or rubber ball into your opponent's goal.

The Ideal Program

Street hockey is an ideal program for park and recreation departments because it is easy to set up, can be played indoors or outdoors and offers participants both ample exercise and enhanced coordination skills.

The Community Development Office established Sharks & Parks in October 1991 and began with 30 community centers. By March 1994, the Sharks expect to have 200 centers operating the program with participation exceeding 20,000 kids. The program is not only in San Jose but in neighboring cities such as San Francisco, Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz, Napa and Sonoma. Further expansion will include Sacramento, Stockton and Fresno.

Sharks & Parks is fully sponsored and is donated free of any charges to all schools and community centers. There are no fees for the program. All a kid needs is a pair of sneakers and he or she is set. Current sponsors include Pepsi and Franklin Sports. For participating in the program, each center receives goalie sticks; adult sticks; youth sticks; nets; a complete set of goalie equipment; rubber pucks; no-bounce balls; administrative manuals and stickers; buttons and posters. Also, the Sharks instruct each center with a two-hour training program that covers all rules and regulations as well as demonstrations and scrimmages.

All the Sharks ask for in return is that the centers properly store all equipment, maintain program interest and integrity, and provide adequate insurance.

How successful is the program? So successful that the National Hockey League has developed the "NHL Youth Street Hockey Program" and will be overseeing the launching of the same type of street hockey program as the Sharks into at least six new cities this year, including Miami, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Ottawa and New York.

Positive Impact on Community

The Sharks & Parks Program illustrates how community recreation programs can be an importance element to a professional sports team's success. Without Sharks & Parks, would the Sharks have sold out practically every one of their home games for two years straight? Would the radio station that covers the Sharks have produced ratings 600 percent higher than the same time period a year earlier when they were not carrying any Sharks games? Maybe, but it's doubtful. With participation in Sharks & Parks reaching 20,000 kids, you can be assured that this outreach has had, and will continue to have, a positive impact on the team's attendance and following.

Park and recreation agencies should take notice that there are hundreds of professional sports teams across the country, whether they're major league teams or minor league teams, who would be perfect targets for partnership. Why wait to be approached? Why not contact a team in your area to see if there are ways joint programs can be developed? Parks and recreation needs to be a central component of a community. Integrating with professional teams can only enhance our status and lend support to our mission of healthy recreation for all.

Don't be afraid to go into the water!