Hockey HEROS made a positive first impression on 17 Sunshine Coast youth Sept. 25 at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre.
Last Friday was the kick-off for the grassroots program committed to empowering children through hockey.
The Hockey Education Reaching Out Society (HEROS) is a non-profit organization; its premise is 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 and is conducted in an environment of fun and safety where each child is a hero.
The Sunshine Coast youth, ranging in age from nine to 11 from Kinnikinnick, Sechelt, Cedar Grove and Langdale elementary schools, started their HEROS' journey by learning about the program from HEROS Canada executive director Norm Flynn.
Gibsons Elementary School and its five students will join the program at its session today (Oct. 2) bringing the total to 22 kids for the program, that will run every Friday for 25 weeks.
After learning more about the program, the kids were fitted into their hockey gear, thanks to the generosity of sponsorship from TELUS, CIBC and the National Hockey League Players Association's Goals and Dreams fund. Eight youth volunteers from Elphinstone Secondary School, alongside adult mentors from the community and the HEROS program, helped the kids with their gear. There was a positive feel in the air and lots of smiles.
As a special treat, former NHL player Willie O'Ree, who was the first black man to play in the NHL, paid a visit. O'Ree is the NHL's director of diversity. He travels throughout North America talking to kids, encouraging youth and promoting the game of hockey.
"Stay in school and keep your grades up," he said. "Education is the key. You are at the age where you have to set goals and work to achieve those goals. There is no disgrace in failing, only disgrace in not getting back up and trying again."
The kids then hit the ice sporting their new uniforms and gear, testing their skating skills and getting used to the ice. For most it was their first time wearing full hockey gear, and although there were a few tumbles, all the kids took things in good spirit and listened to Flynn and the mentors as they followed their first on-ice drills.
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.
"I'm very impressed with the volunteer help. The seven students from Elphinstone Secondary who are helping with this is very cool to see," said Tom Poulton, recreation programmer with the Sunshine Coast Regional District and one of the on-ice mentors. "What the kids will get out of this is just amazing. You can never say no to a program like this."
Besides the Sunshine Coast, HEROS has expanded its program to Winnipeg and is launching another chapter in Toronto to complement its programs already running in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton.
"Dreams are becoming a reality. I'm excited that all the legwork we did to build this up and seeing the kids smile and seeing them enjoying it has made it all worth it," Flynn said. "Bottom line is they end up getting the four HEROS behaviours within the first three minutes, which are listening, respect, discipline and having fun. And that's what we're trying to teach the kids. It's not so much about making them NHL players, it's about self-respect and self-esteem. It's about being a positive person in the community."
Flynn said by the end of the 25 sessions on the ice, "you are really going to see a different personality in these kids."
"The kids are excited, over the moon in fact. I didn't see one gloomy face," Flynn said. "Every child wants to be a part of something positive. Under the roof of a rink, you have kids creating friendships. You have kids creating memories. And for HEROS, personally speaking, my dreams are becoming a reality."
