There are few things that bring more happiness to the average grown adult then the faces of smiling, happy children. On the other side of the coin there aren’t many things that bring a smile to a child’s face more then coming face to face with one of their idols.
If one were to ask any of the kids at Dorset Elementary School in Baie D’Urf who they look up to they would likely get a wide-range of responses. That would be on most days.
However, this past Monday most of the kids at Dorset weren’t thinking too much about their average heroes. Probably because they were too busy hunting for autographs from the nine players from the Concordia men’s and women’s hockey teams that paid the school a visit.
It marked the third year in a row that Concordia players have traveled to Dorset to talk to the kids about their lives as student athletes. This year there were six representing the men’s squad (Andrew Davis, Kyle Stanton, Trevor Hawkins, Colin Scotland, Tytus Hardy and Tyler Doherty who had to spend the better part of the visit in Buzz, the mascot’s, uniform) and three from the women’s team (Lauren Houghton, Leanne McPhee, and Meghan Read).
Each year the number of athletes has increased and apparently so has the enthusiasm of the students. “It’s great to get the kids’ reaction,” said Houghton, who has participated the last three years. “I remember when I was in elementary school, none of the girls played hockey and now almost all of them here do.”
From the moment “We Will Rock You” started to blare as the Stingers entered the school’s gymnasium, which was filled with youngsters sitting in rows on benches, there was virtually nowhere for them to hide.
The players started by introducing themselves and fielding a variety of questions from their rambunctious audience, all the while stressing the importance of education. “You’ve got to work hard in school. You only have sports for so long and you need to have something to fall back on,” Davis advised the crowd.
While Dorset’s students were obviously excited at the chance to have a Q&A with the players there were several who only had a one-track mind concerning the day’s itinerary. “We’re going to beat them,” sixth grader Sean Fontaine said before going out to take on the Stingers in a friendly game of pick-up hockey.
Sure enough, thanks to some stellar goaltending from Stanton and a pair of goals from Hardy, the Stingers were able to squeak out a 2-1 win over the sixth-graders.
Fontaine’s comment after the game, “You know, they’ve been playing their whole life so we didn’t want to beat them and get them upset.”
The Stingers had so much fun with the kids that they were eager for a match against the teachers. The final score of that one was Concordia 3 – Teachers 2.
What followed was a mass autograph session in which students scrambled to and fro trying to collect all the players’ signatures, some even walking away with a t-shirt decorated in them.
That was before they were promptly ushered out by Phys Ed. Teacher, Doug Wilson, who plays a big part in bringing the two sides together.
“It’s great that the kids get to hear how these guys got to where they are,” Wilson said. “This gives them a chance to see the light at the end of the tunnel and that they can get where they are.”
Stanton, a rookie for the Stingers, has previously participated in many activities such as this when he was in Prince George and Nanaimo and says he enjoys making the connection with the community. “I wish that we did more to reach out. The more involved you get with the community the more respect you’ll get back from them.”
For their part it can safely be said that Concordia has gained the respect of Dorset Elementary.
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