Class teacher Ms. Sodl and her 12- to 13-year-old students listened attentively to the presentations of the two ice hockey professionals, who received some expert support from the audience. Two students worked together to draw the ice surface on the blackboard, laying the foundation for explaining the game, which, with its red and blue lines, face-off spots, substitutions, and countless rules, can be confusing when you first hear about it.
Ali and Maxi did a great job, however, and piqued their interest in the sport. They made it approachable with a variety of equipment that, upon closer inspection, gave a good sense of what's happening on the ice, but also how exhausting it can be to move quickly with all that gear while keeping an eye on the puck.
Soon, the class will see for themselves at a Red Bulls home game at the Salzburg Ice Arena. Perhaps Ali and Maxi, who are currently working on their comebacks after injuries, will be there too. They quickly left the classroom, however, when Ms. Sodl called after her students after the bell rang that they had to learn square numbers by the next lesson...
