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07/13/2017 12:00 AMTen year-old Gennaro Pompano was recently presented with the East Haven Recreation Director’s Award after posting 88 goals with 48 assists, while leading the town’s top-ranked squirt A ice hockey squad to a 49-5-4 record this year.
Recreation Director Lou Pane, who is also the head coach of boys’ hockey at East Haven High School, says that it’s very rare for a player to score 136 points in the youth hockey ranks, especially when competing in the top tier.
“It’s unheard of. It only comes around once in a while. You don’t see many players with those kinds of totals in youth hockey,” says Pane. “For him to do that against the best competition in the state is amazing.”
Gennaro, a center, has been skating since age three after his father Ray got him interested in hockey. Although Ray never played the sport, he likes hockey, and so he wanted to give his son the opportunity to try it.
“My dad was trying to figure out a sport for me, and he always loved hockey, even though he never got to play it. He wanted me to try it and, once he put me on the ice, I sort of connected to it,” says Gennaro. “When I’m on the ice, it makes me feel happy and excited. It just puts me in a mode that I’m not usually in when I’m not on the ice.”
Pane raves about Gennaro’s lightning-quick speed, and says that he often flies by the opposition. That aspect of Gennaro’s game really stuck out to Pane the first time he saw him play.
“I’ve seen Gennaro play several times. The first thing that impressed me was when he was five or six years old was his footspeed. He has tremendous footspeed, and he developed into a 10 year-old that has great hand skills and a knack for scoring goals,” Pane says. “It’s going to be interesting, rewarding, and pleasing to see him grow into a player, to see how much he develops going forward.”
Gennaro knows that he can use his speed to his advantage on the ice, and he does so with regularity.
“I think my speed is a big part of my game. My speed really helps me get by skaters,” Gennaro says. “I’m working on my stick skills, but my speed is a really big part of my playing hockey.”
Gennaro tries to model his style after his favorite hockey player, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks. Kane, a former No. 1 overall pick in the NHL, is known for his speed and creativity on the offensive end of the rink.
“I’ve always looked up to Patrick Kane. He’s my favorite player,” says Gennaro. “I’ve watched his games, what he does, and how he plays. That’s really helped me a lot to be the player I am today.”
Gennaro feels a great sense of accomplishment to have earned his award from the East Haven Rec Department. Receiving that distinction reassures Gennaro that he’s doing the right things at this early stage of his career.
“It means a lot. It actually tells me if I keep playing like this, it could mean big things for me,” he says. “If I keep practicing, it could take my future in hockey to the next level. One goal I really have is to play in the NHL. That’s one of the best goals I have.”
Gennaro knows that he will have to put in a ton of work in order to realize that goal. That’s why Gennaro will be leaving East Haven Youth Hockey to join the Connecticut Junior Huskies next season. Pane feels that Gennaro will do just fine playing against a stiffer level of competition.
“You know a kid is special when he puts up those types of points. To have 88 goals and 48 assists in youth hockey at the top level, you have somebody special,” says Pane. “Not only does he have great presence out there and know where everybody is on the ice, but his skills are way above what I see out there. His speed is outstanding, he has great hands, and I really think he’s going to be something special.”
Gennaro was happy that he dished out 48 assists this year. Like most hockey players, Gennaro enjoys finding the back of the net, but he knows that getting his teammates involved is a key component to him becoming the best all-around hockey player he can be.
“Even though I like scoring goals and it’s fun—who doesn’t like to score a goal—but as you get older, Coach Pane and my dad remind me that you can’t do that when you go to high school and college,” Gennaro says. “When you get older, you can’t keep the puck. It’s not going to work. So I’ve been trying to pass more and keep my head up and on a swivel. I pass to everyone I can if they’re open, because that’ll keep me more focused.”