Adopt a Maverick

One day, Brent Thiessen and his Missouri Mavericks staff were sitting around the office talking about Junior Hockey, which is so big north of the border.

“I thought, ‘You know what, a lot of our guys aren’t that much older than Junior players,’” said Thiessen, the president and general manager of the Central Hockey League team, “So we should find a way to get them involved with a family in Eastern Jackson County.”

Most Junior Hockey players live with a host family, much like baseball players in the summer Cape Cod or Alaska Baseball Leagues, so the Mavericks are introducing the Adopt-A-Maverick Program for the upcoming season.

Fans will have the chance to “adopt” a Mavericks player and receive special recognition throughout the 2010-11 season.

After the Mavericks home game on Oct. 29 against the Mississippi RiverKings, the Mavericks players will be auctioned off in a live auction for 18 Adopt-A-Maverick spots.

“Just when you think that wonderful organization can’t do more for us fans, they go out and start a program like this,” said Independence season-ticket-holder Garland Strickland, who owns at least one of every Maverick themed hat, jersey and t-shirt,

“I don’t know if I can afford a player, but I’ll sure be there. I love those guys so much I’d bid on every one of them if I could.”

On Oct. 29, the adopting families will receive an autographed stick from their player, a picture with the player and a custom Mavericks pendant from Kennedy’s Jewelers.

For the remainder of the season, the 18 Mavericks players who are adopted will wear a horseshoe designed patch on their jersey with the name of the adopting family on the patch. The patches will not appear on the themed jerseys the team wears during the season.

The family will be recognized next to their player’s name on the Mavericks roster page on MissouriMavericks.com.  The families will also have their name next to the players in all of the Mavericks subsequent programs distributed at home games and throughout the community.

There will also be special Adopt-A-Maverick events throughout the season. Immediately following the Mavericks home games on Dec. 23, 2010 and March 1, 2011 the adopting families will meet their player in the locker room. On Nov. 17, the Mavericks will host a dinner for all of the players and their adopting families.

Finally, during the Mavericks final home weekend on March 18, 2011 the adopting families will be recognized on the ice in a pre-game ceremony before the Mavericks take on the Wichita Thunder.

At the conclusion of the season, adopting families will also receive their player’s black game-used jersey signed by the player.

“What a great idea,” Mavericks forward Simon Watson said. “It’s just an unbelievable way to let the guys become more involved in this great community. We’re all looking forward to the night of the auction.”

IN REVIEWING THIS NEW ADOPT-A-MAVERICK PROGRAM:

• There will be no more than 18 adopting families for the entire 2010-11 season

• Should a player be injured but remain on the club, the adopting family will remain with the same player.

• Should a player be traded, the adopting family will automatically receive the incoming player as their adopted player

• All 18 of the adopting families will remain throughout the season regardless of the player that family ends the season with and those families will be eligible to attend all events throughout the year regardless of who their player is.

Money raised from the auction will go toward upgrading the Mavericks team gear.

“We’re using Easton equipment this year, which should help us score more goals,” Thiessen said, “and the funds used from the auction will go towards new equipment. The guys are really excited about the adoption program and getting better gear.”