Essentia Health Sports Center In Brainerd Celebrates 50 Years This Past August

This past August Essentia Health Sports Center in Brainerd celebrated 50 years of their youth hockey association and high school hockey program that is continuously growing with over 350 participants.

50 years is a long time without challenges throughout the way. Essentia Health Sports Center takes what they do very seriously and realizes they are impacting several kids a year.

Hockey can be a long and expensive sport and may be hard for some to afford but at the Essentia Health Sports Center they wont turn anyone away.

If an athlete isn’t able to afford equipment, the center has scholarship programs and they also have a rental equipment program. This opportunity dresses a kid from head to toe for $20 a year.

With Essentia Health Sports Center being a community landmark, it’s not just for hockey or ice skating.

The school district can use the facility if they can’t get outside due to very cold temperatures at no cost.

As a dad who watched three kids grow up in the sport, Hockey has been his life which is why he is passionate about each student and considers the sports center something like a second home.

The Center’s Executive Director Jim Brau shared, “It Is the best part of my day. When I see the kids walk in from school, I hear the kids laughing and giggling, It puts all the stress away which is a very unique thing to see every day.

The Essentia Health Sports Center is operated and owned by Brainerd Amateur Sports Foundation. They hope to continue with their mission, by supporting education and developing amateur athletes in the community.