A grassroots program committed to empowering children through hockey is coming to the Sunshine Coast.
The Hockey Education Reaching Out Society (HEROS) is a non-profit organization with its premise to use the game of hockey as a catalyst to attract youth to a program offering support for education, self-esteem building and life skills training.
The program focuses on boys and girls of diverse ethnicity from economically challenged neighbourhoods. The program will be conducted in an environment of fun and safety where each child is considered to be a HERO.
At the beginning of each school year, 32 boys and girls are selected to participate in the HEROS winter program, which will start here on the Sunshine Coast on Sept. 25 at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre.
The program, managed by professional, certified instructors, creates a fun, safe and stimulating environment that consists of one hour of on-ice instruction followed by one hour of off-ice instruction. Every child is treated as a HERO.
On-ice drills include: learning to skate, learning to shoot a puck and finally learning how to play hockey. HEROS uses hockey to invite positive behaviour and teach participants essential life skills such as: teamwork, co-operation, respect, listening, self-esteem, commitment, decision making and how to have healthy fun.
Equipment, ice time and healthy snacks are provided free of charge to all participants. HEROS is partnering with the Sunshine Coast Regional District Parks and Recreation Department to put on the program. Other partners include School District No. 46, the Sechelt Indian Band, Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association and TELUS, which has committed $75,000 or a three-year funding agreement to create the program on the Sunshine Coast.
HEROS is also expanding its program to Winnipeg and launching another chapter in Toronto to complement its programs already running in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton.
Norm Flynn, HEROS Canada executive director, was on the Coast June 15 making presentations at both the Gibsons and Sechelt arenas to partner organizations and to introduce the program.
Flynn said he is excited about bringing the program to the Coast and he hopes over the three-year period to expand the program and have one in place at both arenas.
"The kids we work with are at-risk, kids who have trouble at home or at school and need a place to turn to," Flynn said. "The learning curve is huge. Five years ago I would have said that hockey is the number one component of this program, but now it's really just the tool of how we deliver the program. The kids who go through this program are changed for life. Their behaviour changes, how they treat others changes. We see them now not only as athletes, but as productive members of society."
SD46 is currently working with area teachers to identify participants in grades 5 and 6 for the program. Five schools will probably make up the first intake of participants for the program, but the goal is certainly to involve the whole Sunshine Coast, Flynn said.
