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One night during 1976 or so, Jim McLoughlin and a
few of his “buddies” gathered around the table to discuss hockey
over a couple of “cold ones”. Over 35 years later the youth of
Valley
East
and Greater Sudbury are still benefiting from the results of that
discussion. Jim, the only founding member who is still an active
member of the Valley East Renegades Athletic Association, had a
chance to sit down with Robert Kirwan, True Sport Community Animator
for
Northern
Ontario
,
recently to share some of his memories and experiences.
Jim and Bob covered a lot of topics associated with
minor hockey, including the need for coaches and volunteers to keep
in mind the reason why children play sports in the first place –
to have fun!
One of the fundamental principles that both True
Sport and the Renegades believe in is the need for FAIR PLAY. Jim
explained that in his mind sport organizations must pay more
attention to making sure that young players are competing with their
own calibre. “They are not going to get anything out of their
hockey experience if they never touch the puck. It is critical for
kids to play at their own level so that they feel they are part of
the game.”
They also talked about the challenges faced with
Rep Hockey, especially when parents have unreasonable expectations
that their children will make it to the professional ranks. This
just places undue pressure on the players, the coaches and the
officials, ultimately often forcing the young player to quit the
game and do something else.
If you have a chance to listen to all or part of the
interview, you will enjoy the thoughts that are discussed by Jim and
Bob. They offer much food for thought about youth sport and without
a doubt you will recognize the passion that Jim has maintained all
these years as he continues to put his heart into providing positive
experiences for young boys and girls.
NOTE:
Jim will be Robert Kirwan's special guest during a two-hour live
talk radio show on Monday, August 8, 2011 broadcast from the studios
of Laurentian University's CKLU 96.7 FM. The entire interview will
be posted on this web site for you to listen to on demand. If you
would like to catch the live show you can listen to it at 96.7 on
your FM dial or you can hear the show streamed at www.cklu.ca
Bob and Jim will be discussing the NOHA Hockey Summit that will be
taking place from August 5 to 7, 2011 in Sudbury.
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