Hockey Wraparound and Mike Bonelli Hockey Solutions are pleased to announce the creation and launch of the Hockey Wraparound Youth Initiative which will benefit youth hockey players and organizations who are struggling due to restrictions created by the pandemic.
With rink closures and limited ice availability, the Youth Initiative aims to provide off-ice and outdoor training products for an extremely low cost in addition to online development, leadership and organizational training in a community based format.
The initiative will provide each player with a starter option of the Hockey Wraparound Stick Blade protector, off-ice ball or puck, and a roll of tape for $19.99, well below the normal retail price of $45. In addition, all participants will be invited to join the online team building community where they can interact with other members and benefit from free training courses and seminars with the initiative’s founders, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli.
Lee Elias, the Team Leader of Hockey Wraparound, is also a professional speaker, award-wining published author, collegiate professor and former championship coach. He has been recognized for his work with team building and bonding and also runs several businesses within the hockey space.
Mike Bonelli brings 30+ years as a coach and hockey executive that works with some of the best hockey services available to bring those resources to programs, teams and players. A member of USA Hockey’s coaching education program, Bonelli also serves as the coaching director and advisor too many youth programs.
Elias said of the partnership, “When the pandemic started we knew the Wraparound would become an asset for hockey players around the world that wanted to continue to play. We know that times are hard right now and we wanted to make sure we were doing everything we could to give back to the hockey community that has helped to get Wraparound where it is today. Teaming up with Mike was a natural fit to create the additional value and knowledge that we know clubs will need as they begin to rebound, recover and return from the current situation.”
Bonelli continued, “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Lee in both a product and creative capacity over the past few years. I knew when we spoke that our combined experience would be a needed asset right now for teams and players facing a rough period. There is so much that organizations and players can be doing right now to keep ahead but they may not have the resources or information to know what steps to take - we are hoping to provide that during this time.”