A Lesson in Kindness - How Our Hockey Network Came Together
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Taking a different approach with this article, I want to share a personal inspirational story from this recent week, highlighting some positives in hockey culture, which sometimes gets a bad rap.
Last Sunday, after returning home from a fantastic Father's Day afternoon and BBQ, I was greeted with a disheartening sight: my daughter's hockey training equipment had been stolen from the front of our house. It was a crushing blow, especially after such a great day. Seeing my daughters' excitement turn to tears was heartbreaking. Just that morning, I had bought new hockey gloves for my daughter, and she couldn't wait to try them out.
As I sat in my truck, processing the situation (fuming mad), I couldn't help but think about the person who would do this and how different the situation might have been if I had been home. No parent wants to see their kids upset, and it was a tough moment for all of us.
To vent my frustration, I posted about the theft on my personal social media pages, warning others in the community. I didn't expect much of a response beyond shared disappointment. But what happened next was truly heartwarming.
Why our community is awesome…
Amidst the negativity, my kids and I witnessed the positive side of our community and the supportive hockey culture. Friends and strangers reached out, offering to help. We were already replacing the items lost, not looking for handouts. Yet, within 24 hours, multiple friends offered their nets, and Bradford resident, hockey coach, and volunteer extraordinaire Dave Heath quickly had a net ready for us in the meantime.
I then had another old friend insisted on helping, refusing to take no for an answer.
A Touch of Newmarket Nostalgia…
As a kid, I had a dream job at National Sports in Newmarket, where I met great people and had even eventually had my first leadership role. My first boss, Pat Colucci, who I still see at the rinks, reached out, insisting on sending us replacement equipment. I explained that we had started to search out and order new stuff and he simply said, don't bother because he was sending everything we needed. Not even 48 hours after the theft, we received a shipment from Hockey Shot with all the equipment we lost.
A Teachable Moment…
On our way back from lacrosse, I shared the amazing comments and emails with my daughter and did the same with my other when we returned home. It was a reminder that our community is a great place, and we can't let one bad person ruin it. The next day, to their surprise both girls came home from school to find the Hockey Shot packages had arrived from Pat.
Reflecting on Hockey Culture...
I understand that hockey culture isn't perfect, and recent years have highlighted some negative behaviors. But it's important to recognize the many positive and optimistic stories that likely outweigh the negative ones. The best friends I have are those I met in a hockey rink and maintaining these relationships over many years is something I'm very proud of.
Key Takeaways
Community Strength: There are always more good people looking to help than those looking to harm.
Valuable Friendships: Lifelong relationships and good friends are invaluable.
Giving Back: A lot of people have extra hockey nets. If you have extra one, please consider donate them to neighborhood kids to get them involved in the game.
Sports make life better. Let's get more people involved and support each other in our communities!
