HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — From the sights and sounds, it looks like a normal hockey practice. But in many ways, it is far from average. 

Leto High School’s hockey head coach Bobby Pizzio has seen how the sport has impacted these players. 

"It has saved a couple of their lives,” Pizzio said. "Some of these kids were in the streets, they were on paths that were not good.”

Most of the students had little to no athletic experience. Some had never even heard of hockey, like forward Armando Hernandez. 

"Before 6th grade, if you would’ve asked me what hockey was, I wouldn’t have even known it was a sport,” he explained.  

The Leto High hockey team wouldn’t exist without the Lightning’s "Guide the Thunder" program — a community initiative to grow the sport in Tampa Bay and help at-risk youth. 

"Part of the mentor time was also thirty minutes on the ice,” Pizzio said. "A few of the kids really took to liking it and wanted to further that so came up with the idea and said, 'Hey we can put a team together and see what happens.’"

The students fell in love with the sport. 

"I grew up a Hispanic family so all I knew was soccer,” Hernandez said. “Then the Lightning came to our school and I knew once I picked the stick that that was going to be what I chased for a living.” 

Xavier Pomales said the feeling he gets while playing is unmatched. 

"It feels good to play on the ice. It’s like a rush of excitement and adrenaline,” Pomales said. 

It wasn’t easy though. 

"The first time on the ice was unique because it was literally on the ice. Spinning, falling, crawling,” Pizzio recounted. 

In their first season, the Falcons were shut out in five of their first 8 games. But instead of getting discouraged, they practice harder. 

Fast forward a year later and Leto looks like a completely different team. 

"The kids are making cuts, they’re stopping, we’re hitting, I mean they’re giving me a run for my money,” Pizzio said. 

And now, the wins are coming. 

"Our first win the other night was unbelievable, I mean, I had chills the whole game watching it, I think my heart rate was 160,” Pizzio said. 

The victories go beyond the ice rink. These players are learning how to win in life. 

"Knowing how to handle yourself when times are down, especially when we’re down in the game, you can’t let it affect how you play, you’ve got to push through. It’s hard, but you’ve got to push through,” Pomales said.  

This may be the first generation of hockey at Leto High School, but it’s certainly not the last. 

"This is my passion. This is what I love,” Hernandez said. "If I don’t go pro, then I want to help the youth.”