Hey guys,
I just finished volunteering a coach for Peewee hockey that was made up of a bunch of kids from my reserve and from a few others. We played in a tournament held once a year called Little NHL (little native hockey league). We won the “C” division of the tournament, and I could not be prouder of my boys and girls. I felt like a proud parent seeing these kids work so hard together to achieve this.
I’m going to be leaving my job at the casino in the summer in the hopes of working for the summer camps that I did the summer after Kaleo on my reserve. The only thins is I might not get to older age group that I am hoping to work with. I am asking for you guys to pray for me as I try and get this positions with this age group because I feel as if I was placed in the life of a few of my players for a reason and I would like the summer to continue on with working and getting closer with them.
There is this one boy who was not on my team but actually helped me run my practices for my peewees. His name is Cody, and he is going through a rough time with his family right now. His parents are splitting up and his younger siblings (who I have worked with at camps and coached) both live with their mother and he chose to live with their dad. He holds so much anger towards his mother from things his father has been telling him, and he is in general turning into a very angry young man. He has touched on somethings briefly with me and it hurts my heart. He is a good kid and I do not want to see him turn into a bitter person. There are so many people that think badly about him and say he has an attitude problem, which at times he does. But when he coached hockey with me I was able to see a completely different side of him that I am not sure many people have been able to see. I feel as if Cody and his siblings have been placed in my path for a reason. And I feel that Cody helping with the team I coached was no coincidence. I think he is struggling with so much right now and sports is a away to for him to deal with things, and the respect I have managed to gain from him over the past few months puts me in a position to help him. I’ve asked him to continue on with helping me next year with the hockey team as I think it will be helpful to him. I can tell he loves hockey deeply, and through it I have managed to get him to open up to me a little about things.
If I have felt confused as to why I feel so connected to hockey still I think it is for the fact that I can use it to reach kids like Cody, where they are a misunderstood by others. To kids where hockey is a language of its own, and thankfully one that I am fluent in.
I would ask you right now to pray for Cody about his insecurities he has about himself, his hurt, his brokenness and his family. He and his siblings are wonderful kids with so much potential, and I cannot help but love them and want to help them. Pray for them as they struggle, pray for Cody that his heart does not become cold and hardened from his anger.
I also would ask that you pray for me about the summer camp position with the Rama recreation department. It is something I feel I need to do so strongly, but there are some obstacles that could keep me from getting it. This job would give me a chance to carry on the friendships and bonds I have built from coaching this team, and it gives me a chance to build new relationships with my new players. To me hockey has become something new. It has become a tool I can use to impact a child’s life in a positive manner, where it goes so much past just a game; and this summer camp will allow me to take the relationship off the ice and form new ones with kids that don’t play. These kids need love, and I have much love to give. Please, please pray for me as I try and make a difference in the children of my community. I am scared that I will not get this job, but I can honestly say I have not felt so strongly and so passionate about something in such a long time. I want to be there for these kids, I want to make a difference in their lives.
