2012-13 Media Guide - Washington Capitals - NHL.com

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Caps in the Community
The Washington Capitals strive for success both on and off the ice. As a professional sports
franchise with deep roots in and around the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, the Capitals
are committed to making a difference in the local community. It is our goal not only to build
an excellent team with positive role models for young people, but also to create and maintain
community programs that encourage participation in hockey, serve to educate today’s youth
and assist those in need.
It is this philosophy that led the franchise to establish Caps Care, the branch of the
organization that manages community involvement. Recognizing the community as our
most important asset, Caps Care creates programs that are designed to give back to the very
community that has supported our team for so many years.
Throughout the year Capitals players, coaches and their families, along with our alumni, staff,
Red Rockers and mascot, dedicate themselves to making a difference in the lives of the people
they encounter. Through a diverse array of causes like education, fundraising, supporting local
youth hockey groups, hosting community drives or simply spreading good cheer, the Capitals
are committed to being a positive influence and contributor in our community.
Community Programs
The Washington Capitals take part in numerous programs throughout the year that benefit
the local community.
Caps@School: The Washington Capitals launched Caps@School during the 2009-10
season and brought the excitement of Caps Hockey to local classrooms in Maryland, Virginia
and Washington, D.C. Caps@School is a free, online curriculum-enhancing teaching tool for
first- through sixth-grade classes.
In 2011-12 more than 1,300 elementary school educators used the Caps@School program to
access resources that combined the sport of hockey and Washington Capitals players to teach
math, science, language, art, health and physical education, up from the nearly 900 educators
who used the program in 2010-11. This unique program offered engaging, classroom-ready
lesson plans featuring Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Mike Green, Brooks Laich, Michal
Neuvirth, Alex Ovechkin and Joel Ward that captured the attention of students. Furthermore,
Caps@School allowed classes that completed lesson plans the opportunity to win Caps prizes.
Each month from October through March, at least one eligible class won a Chipotle burrito
party with autographed memorabilia delivered to their classroom by either a player or team
mascot Slapshot. Caps@School also offered educational stories, Caps player quick facts and
motivational posters that educators could utilize in their classrooms.
Last season more than an estimated 109,000 students from public, private and charter
schools were reached through Caps@School, a significant increase from the 69,000 who were
reached in 2010-11.
Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., teachers can enroll their classes for free and start to
download lesson plans immediately at the Caps@School website at www.CapsAtSchool.com.
Hockey School: The Washington Capitals have hosted more than 70 clinics and reached
more than 10,000 students in the D.C. area through the team’s Hockey School program since
its inception in 2007. Hockey School is a free program, designed to be both instructional
and interactive, with the goal of exposing students to floor hockey and teaching proper
technique. Each Hockey School visit consists of an interactive floor hockey clinic focusing on
stickhandling, passing and shooting.
This season Caps coaches, players and alumni, Slapshot and team representatives will host
Hockey School sessions between September and May for groups of 200 fifth- through eighthgraders.
Each student who participates in Hockey School will receive the following:
• An autographed player card signed by by a Caps player or alumnus
• A hockey 101 booklet that outlines the rules of street hockey and ice hockey
• One coupon for a free open skate session at a local participating rink
• One coupon for a free learn to skate or learn to play introductory class at a local rink
• A Hockey School squishy puck
In addition, each school will receive a Capitals Hockey School banner and a set of street hockey
equipment.
Most Valuable Kids
The Washington Capitals have teamed up with Most Valuable Kids, Inc., to provide a unique
opportunity for Caps season-ticket holders to donate unused game tickets to underserved
children, recuperating soldiers and active military and their families in the Washington,
D.C., metropolitan area. Tickets that would otherwise go unused are redistributed by Most
Valuable Kids to either injured soldiers or active military and their families; or to boys and
girls, 18 and younger, through various local nonprofit organizations. Most Valuable Kids’
mission is to provide an unparalleled reward system for local underprivileged children and
children’s organizations that show exemplary behavior, spirit, and community service. In
offering children the opportunity to come face to face with athletic and entertainment role
models, Most Valuable Kids’ program fosters the development of self-esteem and a deeper
understanding of the benefits of hard work and perseverance during adolescent and teenage
years. For more information on Most Valuable Kids go to www.MostValuableKids.org.