History

In 2015, the Tampa Bay Lightning established the Equip the Thunder initiative and set out on a mission to grow the sport of hockey amongst kids in grades 4th-8th at Tampa area Elementary and Middle schools.  

Since the inception of the Equip the Thunder program, the Lightning Made Street Team has been able to visit a total of 866 Tampa area Elementary and Middle schools, while donating a total of 191,168 Lightning branded street hockey sticks and hockey balls. 

Goals for the 2021-22 Academic Year

For the 2021-22 academic school year, the Lightning Made Street team will be visiting 138 Tampa area Elementary Schools and will be handing out 22,000 Lightning branded sticks and hockey balls to students in grades 1st-3rd. 

The Tampa Bay Lightning Equip the Thunder Program is a FREE ball hockey program aimed to get children at local area schools and community centers interested in the game of hockey. This program offers area schools a PE class curriculum and a school activity that is a fast-paced alternative to traditional PE class units.

For the Equip the Thunder program, our Lightning Street Team visit area Elementary Schools, take over the P.E. classes for the day, teach the children how to play street hockey by running them through various “skills stations” and then have the children play a timed scrimmage at the end of class. The instruction is provided by members of our Tampa Bay Lightning “Street Team” and is led by Tampa Bay Lightning Alumni.

• The Lightning Made Street Team and a Lightning Alumni will visit your school to deliver your school's equipment and teach street hockey during your school's P.E. class.
• Each participating school will receive their own full set of Tampa Bay Lightning branded street hockey equipment.
• This equipment set includes 38 street hockey sticks, 38 hockey balls, 38 Lightning jersey pinnies, and 2 hockey nets.
• Teachers will receive a uniquely designed curriculum to help teach the game of street hockey, which can also be downloaded below.

• Each participating student will receive their very own Lightning branded street hockey stick and ball to take home.
• In addition, every stick and ball handed out comes with a Hockey 101 pamphlet that contains basic hockey terminology, rules, and drills that students can do on their own. 
• Participants also receive an autographed player card from the Tampa Bay Lightning Alumni serving as the lead instructor on that day.

If you are interested in having the Lightning Made Street Team out to your school or community center, please complete the application by following the link below and a representative will get in touch with you about availability and scheduling details.

• Please be aware that a submitted request does not guarantee an appearance since the schedule is based on availability.
• When filling out the application, we ask that you please provide 3 dates, during separate weeks, that would work best for your facility.

This program is a great introduction to hockey and we are thrilled to provide schools and community centers with the educational and athletic tools to get familiar with the sport.

This booklet, along with our first-class instructors, will help you learn the game from its most basic elements. We also want to encourage active participation and sportsmanship in our sport to educate today’s young players on the correct way to play. This booklet has also expanded to encompass not only the game of hockey, but also everyday skills, including math and science, in an effort to add to the educational value for all participants.

EVERFI’s online platform provides unique ways for students to connect the game of hockey to topics such as states of matter, measuring angles and types of energy. Thanks to a few of EVERFI’s top users, Roland Park IB K-8 was recently selected to have a visit by a special guest—the Stanley Cup!