Scores of parents lined the perimeter of the rink at the Poway Ice Arena on a recent Saturday afternoon, holding their cellphones to the glass to film and otherwise digitally document what was happening on the ice.

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There, 25 kids — ranging from ages four to 12 — were skating, or trying to, as several instructors encouraged and coached them on proper technique: short, choppy steps, with the skates at sharp angles.

Some of the kids understood and glided across the ice. Others looked like newborn giraffes learning how to walk, their legs splayed as they fell, hard, onto the ice, only to get up to try again, like warriors. Several others crashed into the boards.

The scenes were at once adorable and revelatory of young people’s indomitable spirits, and they were taking place as part of the Gulls’ “Learn to Play” clinic, led by Anaheim Ducks and Poway Ice staff members, and aimed to inspire the next generation of hockey players.

“The purpose is to introduce new players to the sport of hockey,” said Jesse Chatfield, marketing manager for The Rinks, the Ducks organization that puts on the clinics. “Basically, the up-front costs of hockey are somewhat overwhelming to families. Not just the registration fees, but getting all of the equipment. So the goal of this program is to introduce ... ”

Chatfield paused as a young camper walked by. “Nice job today,” he said, and then continued his thought.

“Introduce new participants to the sport, let them really find out if it’s something that they like to do before making that investment.”

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Ari Segal, president of business operations for the Gulls, said at least seven area clinics will be completed by the end of summer. He said the two clinics operating now are “averaging approximately 30 enrolled kids each. ... By getting more people — especially kids — on the ice, we have an immediate opportunity to convert their parents into fans and longer term opportunity to develop lifelong hockey fans.”

In their first season in the American Hockey League, the Gulls ranked second in average attendance at 8,675 per game (Hershey led with 9,790). Segal said these clinics are just part of what the Gulls are attempting to build in San Diego and added that data from Orange County, where the Ducks have run similar programs for the past five years, “suggests that there’s an incredibly high conversion rate, meaning that the vast majority of kids who enter the program will stay in rec hockey after the program ends.”

Chatfield said that in the last 21/2 years, “2,000 youth players have graduated from that program and gone on to paid hockey programs and leagues. And you’re starting to see the progression impact some of the travel ranks now. So it would go this program, then into a skills clinic, a youth in-house league, and then those kids that continue to progress in the sport will end up playing travel hockey. So you’re starting to see the impact getting that far down the chain.

“You saw kids as young as four out there today,” Chatfield continued. “So if a kid’s starting with a sport at that young of an age, you can just imagine how much impact that will have later down the line. It’s going to start impacting our Anaheim Ducks’ high school hockey league as that continues to gain momentum down here in San Diego with more and more teams.”

At the clinic on this Saturday, the campers — with their names taped to their helmets and dressed in full pads — practiced diving and sliding, passing the puck and competing in small-sided games.

One of the players in the scrimmage was a nine-year-old named Olivia, who wore a blue jersey with her blonde hair flapping outside of her helmet. She scored a goal, and also helped save a goal, during the game.

After, when asked if she had fun, Olivia beamed.

“I like that you get to be on ice,” she said, adding that her favorite drill was the Superman, which involves diving on your stomach and then completing a barrel roll.

The campers would be there for the four Saturdays, Chatfield said. His favorite part?

“Just seeing the excitement on the kid’s face, you know?” he said.