Inventor Builds Dummies To Teach Young Players
For local inventor Michael Getchell, teaching kids the sport of hockey is a key goal of his, and he credits much of his enthusiasm to “a little dummy.”
In 2001, Getchell, 46, a former East Bridgewater resident, and hockey teacher invented the A.C.E. Checkmate which was patented in 2004.
The A.C.E. Checkmate is a 5-foot-tall, weighted, padded, dummy basically made of foam that is used on the ice to help young hockey players learn how to check properly. The dummy is equipped with a uniform, protective gear and hand grips so it can be maneuvered along the ice.
Then, while at a gym he studied how punching bags were used, he came up with the idea to create something safe for players to use to learn how to check.
Getchell said the dummy also helps players keep their heads up during drills, as opposed to using orange cones that have a tendency to make the player look down.
According to Getchell, the dummy is also a way for kids to have fun.
Photo by Marc Vasconcellos.
cassy on September 10th, 2008 7:34 pm
great idea he had…kids can really learn here and also if they use this dummy, kids can’t be harm…
100kjob on September 10th, 2008 9:39 pm
Great idea, save money to hire more coach, and save some hassle for the coach too.
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