CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Monsters have launched a new floor hockey program to introduce kids to hockey in a fun and accessible way, as part of their mission to grow the game.

“It’s a great sport, but there are a lot of barriers to entry, so doing things like that, introducing kids, giving them the things they need to get started, it’s really important,” said Monsters left winger Justin Pearson.

“Hockey is expensive. It’s a tough sport to play, so if we can make that happen for some kids, then it’ll still be fun,” Monsters center Hunter McKown said.

The Monsters will visit six schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District throughout the season. Students will have the opportunity to learn and play alongside Monsters players and staff. The team’s first stop was Monday at the Campus International School in Cleveland.

“It was great. The children were very excited. I don’t think a lot of the little ones really knew they were playing with a professional athlete, but they’ll appreciate it in time, if they don’t know already,” physical education teacher Jerrell Johnson said.

After the clinic, participating schools will keep the equipment they use. They will also receive a playing lesson so they can incorporate floor hockey into their curriculum in the future.

“I love the floor hockey units in physical education, so I am grateful to have a new curriculum to use and to be able to share it with students,” Johnson said.

“This is the game that I love, and we all love so much, so to be able to help grow it in this way, it’s pretty special to be here,” McKown said.

“Introducing them to a sport like hockey means so much. I think sports have been a very valuable part of my life, and seeing the joy and even teamwork that it brings is so important,” Pearson said.

The Monsters are off to a 2-4 start in their young season. Cleveland hosts the Toronto Marlies at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday, November 2 at 7 p.m.

Carly Mascitti is a sports anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @carlymascitti.