An animation of a science beaker with a bubbling green liquid appears on screen with a title that reads "Sports Lab."

Now Nykeem appears on screen walking outside of a hockey arena. Nykeem is in his thirties, has shaved black hair, is clean-shaven, and wears a gray T-shirt.

Nykeem says HEY GANG, WELCOME
TO SPORTS LAB.
WHERE SPORTS AND SCIENCE
ARE THE FOUNDATION OF FUN.

(Theme music plays)

The opening sequence begins.

Two light blue doors with a title that reads "Sports Lab" open where thousands of sports equipment encircles a classroom skeleton. The animated balls fly throughout the white room stopping at scenes of people playing different sports.

First Nykeem kicking a soccer ball, then a boy on a skateboard, then a tennis ball, then a hockey goalie, and lastly of a group of kids and Nykeem who break on a tennis court and say SPORTS LAB!

All the sports equipment turns into different colours and funnel into a science beaker with green liquid with a label that reads "Sports Lab."

(music plays)

The scene opens with Nykeem standing on an ice rink now wearing a black helmet and a red jersey that reads "Sports Lab."

Nykeem says MY NAME'S NYKEEM,
AND TODAY WE'RE ON ICE.
BUT LEAVE YOUR
JACKETS AT HOME,
WE'LL BE PLENTY WARM
PLAYING A GOOD OLD FASHIONED
GAME OF HOCKEY.

(music plays)
(Fanfare)
(APPLAUSE)

In the white room, the science beaker with green liquid bursts with colours and balls and a title emerges that reads "Hockey."

Back on the ice, Nykeem shuffles a puck, and a caption reads "Beaver Valley Arena, Thornbury, Ontario."

Nykeem says HOCKEY IS AS FUN
AS FUN GETS.
WE'RE TALKING SKATING,
SHOOTING, SCORING
AND CELEBRATING.
BETTER YET, HOCKEY AND SCIENCE
PLAY ON THE SAME TEAM.
ISN'T THAT RIGHT, DOC?

Now Dr. Heather appears on screen with a caption that reads "Dr. Heather, Sports Scientist." She has straight, dark brown hair and wears a blue shirt. She stands at a white desk with books and science supplies around her.

Dr. Heather says SHARP AS ALWAYS, NYKEEM.
FROM THE SPEED
AND MOMENTUM
OF A PLAYER SKATING
DOWN THE ICE,
TO THE AMAZING SPLIT
SECOND REACTIONS
FROM GOALIES
LOOKING TO MAKE A SAVE.
HOCKEY AND SCIENCE
FORM A PERFECT ONE TIMER.

Back on the ice, Nykeem says SO LACE UP YOUR SKATES,
SPORTS LAB IS FIRING AWAY.
WOO!

Now Chase appears on screen with a caption that reads "Chase." Chase has short, shaggy, dark blond hair, and wears a black and blue sports jacket.

Chase says HI, I'M CHASE.
I'M 12 YEARS OLD,
AND I'VE BEEN PLAYING
HOCKEY FOR EIGHT YEARS.

Clips of Chase playing ice hockey appear on screen.

Chase says WHETHER IT'S PLAYING
AT THE AREA WITH MY TEAM,
OR HANGING OUT
AT MY BUDDY'S OUTDOOR RINK.
HOCKEY TO ME,
IS JUST THE FUNNEST THING
TO DO IN THE WORLD.

Now Nykeem walks up to Chase in the hockey rink and says HEY CHASE,
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB.

Chase says HEY, NYKEEM.

Nykeem says THIS ARENA IS SO NICE.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU
BEEN PLAYING HERE?

Chase says UM, ABOUT EIGHT YEARS NOW.
SINCE I WAS FOUR.

Nykeem says THAT'S A LONG TIME.

Chase says YEAH, I PRETTY
MUCH GREW UP HERE.

Nykeem says WHAT POSITION
DO YOU PLAY?

Chase says I PLAY CENTER.

Nykeem says SO YOU'RE ALWAYS
IN THE CENTER OF THE ACTION.

Chase says PRETTY MUCH.

Nykeem says YOU'VE BEEN PLAYING
THIS GAME FOR A LONG TIME.
DO YOU KNOW
HOW OLD IT IS.

Chase says NO, BUT I'D REALLY
LIKE TO KNOW.

Nykeem says THEN LET'S SKATE OUR WAY
INTO THE STORY OF HOCKEY.
(Fanfare)
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, a book opens and a title flies out that reads "History of Hockey."

Nykeem says ICE HOCKEY HAS
ONE OF THOSE IS
A DUTCH GAME SIMILAR TO GOLF
BUT PLAYED ON ICE.
PLAYERS USE A CURVED BAT
TO HIT A BALL INTO A POLE
BEFORE THE OTHER TEAM.
IMMIGRANTS TO CANADA BROUGHT
THESE GAMES WITH THEM
AND MODERN HOCKEY
STARTED TO TAKE FORM.
THE FIRST OFFICIAL MENTION
OF HOCKEY IN CANADA
WAS IN 1825.
WHEN A MAN NAMED
JOHN FRANKLIN WROTE...
FRANKLIN: THE GAME OF HOCKEY
PLAYED ON ICE
WAS THE MORNING SPORT.
Nykeem says THAT'S RIGHT,
MR. FRANKLIN.
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE
HOCKEY IN THE MORNING.
ON MARCH THIRD, 1875
THE FIRST RECORDED INDOOR
ICE HOCKEY GAME TOOK PLACE
AT THE VICTORIA SKATING
RINK IN MONTREAL.
BACK THEN,
THE GOALS WERE ALMOST
TWO AND A HALF METRES WIDE.
SO TWO GOALIES WOULD'VE
BEEN A GOOD IDEA.

Back on the ice rink, Nykeem says OKAY CHASE,
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO
LET'S PLAY SOME PUCK.

Chase says LET'S DO IT.

Chase and his teammates appear on screen. Nykeem, Chase, and their teammates appear on screen and play hockey.

The coach says SKATE HARD!
(UNCLEAR)
FULL STOP!
GET SET, GO!

Nykeem scores a goal and says I WON GUYS, I WON!
HA HA HA!
WHAT TOOK YOU GUYS SO LONG?

After the tournament, Nykeem and Chase stand by the wall of the rink.

Nykeem says CHASE, YOUR HOCKEY SKILLS
ARE ON POINT.
WHAT'S ONE THAT
YOU LOVE THE MOST.

Chase says THE SLAP SHOT.

Nykeem says OH, THE SLAP SHOT.
HOW WOULD YOU
DESCRIBE IT?

Chase says THE HARDEST SHOT
IN THE GAME.

Nykeem says WHAT DOES IT FEEL
LIKE TO TAKE ONE?

Chase says A BURST OF ENERGY.

Nykeem says OH, THAT'S
REALLY COOL.

Chase says I WONDER WHERE ALL
THAT ENERGY COMES FROM.

Nykeem looks at his watch and says I'D SAY IT'S TIME
TO PUT IN A CALL
IN TO ONE OF MY BRILLIANT
FRIENDS IN THE SPORTS LAB.
HEY, DOC.

Back in the sports lab, Dr. Heather says HEY NYKEEM,
HI CHASE.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND
THIS PARTICULAR SHOT
IS VERY INTERESTING.
THINK ABOUT THE ROLE
THAT ICE PLAYS
AND HOW IT CAN HELP.
I'M SENDING
SOMEONE NOW
TO SHOW US
SOME SLAP SHOTS.
RACE YA.
(Fanfare)

Back in the lab, the science beaker with green liquid appears on screen with a label that reads "Pop Quiz." The bottle swirls and flies over to the blackboard with a question.

Nykeem says WHO'S READY FOR A QUIZ?
HOW LONG DOES AN NHL
GOALIE HAVE TO REACT
TO A SHOT FROM
THE BLUE LINE?
A - TWO SECONDS.
B- POINT FOUR FIVE SECONDS.
OR C - ONE MINUTE.

A skeleton with a red cap says THE ANSWER IS B.

Nykeem says POINT FOUR FIVE SECONDS.
STUDIES HAVE
SHOWN THAT GOALIES
WHO KEEP THEIR EYES
ON A PLAYER'S STICK
REACT QUICKER,
AND SAVE MORE SHOTS.
SO KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED.

(music plays)
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, out of the science beaker launches white foam that turns into a slate that reads "Meet the Pro."

Sean appears on screen with a caption that reads "Sean." Sean has short brown hair, and wears a black fleece jacket.

As Sean speaks, clips of him playing hockey appear on screen.

Sean says MY NAME'S SEAN
I'VE BEEN PLAYING HOCKEY
FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
I GOT INTO HOCKEY
BECAUSE OF MY FAMILY.
MY GRANDFATHER PLAYED,
MY FATHER PLAYED,
MY COUSINS PLAYED.
SO, NATURALLY
I WANTED TO PLAY.
I LOVED BEING ON THE ICE FROM
THE TIME I WAS TWO YEARS OLD.
GROWING UP WITH FRIENDS,
PLAYING HOCKEY,
WHETHER IT WAS JUST
SCRIMMAGE OR PLAYING GAMES
IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

Nykeem and Chase skate up to Sean on the ice rink and Nykeem says HEY, SEAN.

Sean says HEY, WHAT'S UP
NYKEEM?

Nykeem says NOT MUCH.
CHASE, THIS IS SEAN.

Chase says HEY, SEAN.

Sean says WHAT'S UP, CHASE?

Nykeem says SO, WHAT TEAM
DID YOU PLAY FOR?

Sean says I PLAYED FOR
THE VARKAUS EAGLES,
WAY ACROSS THE OCEAN
IN NORTHERN FINLAND.

Chase says IS IT COLD UP THERE?

Sean says VERY COLD.
THE ICE WOULD
FREEZE OUTSIDE
BEFORE IT WOULD
FREEZE IN THE ARENA.

Nykeem says CHASE AND I WERE TALKING
ABOUT SLAP SHOTS EARLIER.
ARE YOU A FAN?

Sean says I'M A BIG FAN
OF SLAP SHOTS.

Nykeem says DO YOU THINK YOU
COULD SHOW US ONE?

Sean says FOR SURE.
THERE'S FOUR THINGS
YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER
WHEN YOU'RE TAKING
A SLAP SHOT.
YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP YOUR HAND
GRIPPED TIGHT ON YOUR STICK
ABOUT A QUARTER
OF THE WAY DOWN.
SECOND IS MAKING SURE
THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR EYE
ON THE PUCK AT ALL TIMES.
THIRD IS YOUR BACK SWING.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BE WAY ABOVE
YOUR SHOULDERS UP HERE.
SOMEBODY WILL PROBABLY
COME TAKE THE PUCK.
YOU WANT TO KEEP IT A LITTLE BIT
HIGHER THAN YOUR SHOULDERS.
AND LASTLY,
WHEN YOU FOLLOW THROUGH
YOU WANT TO POINT TO WHERE
YOU WANT THE PUCK TO GO.

Sean skates over and gets in position and then starts hitting the pucks into the goal.

Nykeem says NICE.
OH!
IT'S SO FAST.

Nykeem looks at his watch and says YOU GETTING THIS?

Dr. Heather says WHOA, GUYS.
I THINK I FELT
THE VIBRATIONS OF THAT SHOT
RIGHT HERE IN THE LAB.
A SLAP SHOT IS A POWERFUL
OPTION IN HOCKEY,
BUT IT'S NOT JUST
A SHOWCASE FOR STRENGTH.
A SLAP SHOT
IS ALSO A SHOWCASE
OF AN ELASTIC COLLISION.
IN PHYSICS, AN ELASTIC
COLLISION IS WHEN ONE OBJECT
TRANSFERS ITS
KINETIC ENERGY
TO ANOTHER OBJECT,
WITHOUT LOSING ANY ENERGY.
THINK ABOUT A SLAP SHOT
AS A COLLISION BETWEEN
A STICK AND A PUCK.
WHEN THE STICK
APPROACHES THE PUCK,
IT HITS THE ICE FIRST.
THAT PUTS STRAIN
ON THE STICK,
MAKING IT FLEX.
FLEX IS ANOTHER NAME FOR BEND.
THE FLEX IS VERY IMPORTANT,
BECAUSE IT STORES
LOTS OF POTENTIAL ENERGY.
IT'S LIKE CHARGING
UP YOUR STICK.
THE MORE FLEX,
THE MORE CHARGE.
WHEN THE STICK FINALLY
SNAPS BACK OFF THE ICE,
IT GIVES ALL OF THAT
ENERGY TO THE PUCK.
THE ENERGY IN
THE PUCK IS NOW EQUAL
TO THE STORED ENERGY
FROM THE STICK.
THAT'S WHY
THE PUCK MOVES SO FAST.
AN INELASTIC COLLISION
IS WHEN TWO OBJECTS DO NOT
KEEP THEIR KINETIC ENERGY
AFTER A COLLISION.
LIKE WHEN YOU BUMP INTO
YOUR TEAMMATE BY ACCIDENT.
NOW IT'S TIME
FOR A SHIFT CHANGE.

Back on the rink, Nykeem says OKAY GUYS, SO FOR A SLAP
SHOT TO REALLY HIT HOME,
IT HAS TO FORM AN ELASTIC
COLLISION WITH THE PUCK.
CHASE, YOU READY?

Chase says YUP.

Nykeem says ALRIGHT, SEAN.
LET'S SLIDE BACK.

Chase takes the position and starts shooting.

Sean says TIP YOUR BOTTOM HAND,
EYE ON THE PUCK.
BACKSWING,
UP TO YOUR SHOULDERS.
POINT WHERE YOU WANNA SHOOT.

Nykeem says WHOO! NOW THAT'S
AN ELASTIC COLLISION.
(Fanfare)
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, the green liquid in the science beaker spills and then dries up to reveal a title that reads "Fun Fact."

Nykeem appears on screen standing on the ice rink.

Nykeem says WE CAN ALL AGREE
THAT SKATING IS FUN.
BUT DO YOU EVER WONDER
HOW THE ICE GETS SO SMOOTH?
THAT'S BECAUSE OF ONE
OF THESE BAD BOYS.
THE ZAMBONI.
TO MAKE SURE THE ICE IS NICE,
A ZAMBONI APPLIES A LAYER
OF WARM WATER BETWEEN PERIODS
TO CLEAN UP ANY
SCRATCHES OR CUTS.
WARM WATER?
THAT'S RIGHT.
WARM WATER HELPS TO MELT
CHUNKY BITS OF ICE
MAKING EVERYTHING SMOOTH.
AND IN SOME CASES,
WARM WATER CAN FREEZE
FASTER THAN COLD WATER.
THERE ARE MANY THEORIES
AS TO WHY THE EFFECT WORKS,
LIKE WARM WATER EVAPORATES
FASTER THAN COLD WATER.
BUT, SCIENTISTS HAVEN'T
AGREED ON ONE THEORY YET.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Back on the ice rink, Nykeem says ALRIGHT, CHASE.
NOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND
THE SCIENCE OF A SLAP SHOT,
HOW ABOUT ONE MORE GAME?

Chase says LET'S DO IT.

Nykeem says BUT THIS TIME AROUND,
SOMEONE'S GOING TO PAY
CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE RULES.

Chase says HUH?

A referee appears on screen between Chase, Nykeem, and the rest of the hockey mates. The referee wears a black helmet and a black and white striped shirt.

The referee says READY!
(WHISTLES)

Nykeem says WOO!
LET'S GO GUYS!
(WHISTLES)

(music plays)
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, colours and balls fly out of the science beaker and a slate reads "Pro Tip."

Sean appears on screen and says ONE THING YOU CAN TELL,
IN HOCKEY YOU WEAR
A LOT OF EQUIPMENT.
MORE THAN ANY OTHER SPORT.
IT'LL BE A DIFFERENT
FEELING FOR YOU,
YOU'LL FEEL LIKE
A BOWLING BALL,
OR LIKE YOU'RE IN A SUMO SUIT,
YOU CAN'T MOVE.
WHAT HELPED ME WHEN I FIRST
STARTED PLAYING HOCKEY,
I PUT ALL MY
EQUIPMENT ON AT HOME.
WORE IT AROUND THE HOUSE,
WORE IT OUTSIDE.
DOING THAT BEFORE EVEN GETTING
ON THE ICE FOR THE FIRST TIME,
YOU'LL FEEL THAT
MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE
WHEN YOU GET OUT THERE.
MY NAME'S SEAN,
AND THAT'S MY PRO-TIP.

Chase appears on screen and says I LEARNED SOME SCIENCE
BEHIND THE SLAP SHOT TODAY.
IT'S CALLED
THE ELASTIC COLLISION.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES
A SLAP SHOT SO POWERFUL.
PICK UP SOME SKATES GUYS,
AND I'LL SEE YOU ON THE ICE.

Nykeem skates with his hockey gear on the ice and says IT WAS A COLD DAY IN THE LAB,
BUT WE KEPT WARM
BY MOVING OUR BODIES
AND USING OUR BRAINS.
AND IT TURNS OUT THAT
THE PERFECT SLAP SHOT
IS PERFECTLY ELASTIC.
NOW, I GOTTA SAY GOODBYE.
BUT REMEMBER,
IN THE SPORTS LAB,
IT'S ALWAYS OUR DREAM...

All the hockey mates together say TO PLAY ON THE TEAM!
SPORTS LAB!

The credits roll scenes of kids playing sports appear on screen.

Written and directed by, Johnny Mitchell.
Host, Nykeem Provo.
Editor, David Mitchell.

Produced in association with TVO Kids for riverbank pictures, copyright 1919216 Ontario Inc.