Richmond Jets PCAHA Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to our Richmond Jets players on receiving a PCAHA Scholarship Award. Players from all over the Lower Mainland compete for these scholarships, so kudos to our players on their awards and success.

A number of PCAHA scholarships are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and community/school service combined with hockey participation, to U18 (Midget) or U21 (Juvenile) players best meeting the criteria. The PCAHA and the sponsors of the Scholarship Program wish to encourage hockey players to continue their involvement in Minor Hockey while achieving their academic goals.

Richmond Jets Minor Hockey is about so much more than hockey. It’s about helping raise our next generation of leaders that value the importance of giving back to the communities where they live.  We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

 

Hi there, my name is Aidan. I am currently a grade 12 student at Hugh Boyd Secondary School and will be attending the University of British Columbia this fall. I will be studying Applied Biology with the goal of pursuing a career in the field of science. I was offered entrance scholarships to both University of Toronto and the University of Victoria. I, however, decided to remain local and attend the University of British Columbia which was my ultimate goal.

At Hugh Boyd, I am an active member of the Hugh Boyd Interact club as well as a grad committee member. Through the Interact Club, some of our causes include the Rotary Skates for the World (raised money for the Refilwe community in South Africa and Orbis Flying Eye Hospital), 24 without (Fasting to raise money for Refilwe community) and shoreline cleanups. I spent 2 summers volunteering as a teacher’s assistant with the Richmond Innovations and Explorations Summer School Program. I also volunteered to teach swimming at the Minoru Aquatics Center where I helped with the Adapted Program that gives 1 on 1 lessons for those with mental and physical disabilities. I am also a proud participant of the Father and Son Head Shaving for the brave. In my 9 years of continual participation, the event has raised $120,000 for the BC Children’s Hospital.

This year was my 10th year playing hockey as a part of Seafair and Jets Minor Hockey Associations. I have always been lucky to be surrounded by great coaches, team managers, volunteers and teammates. I always looked forward to going to the rink and being with my teammates in the locker room. It was always a bittersweet experience winning and losing with my teammates, but I found the experience to be very memorable and fulfilling. Hockey was always a way for me to balance school with physical activity. Through the sport, I was able to develop teamwork and leadership skills which I regularly use at school and in teaching. Hockey is so much more than just a sport. It is an entity that unites the community and brings us closer together. Without hockey, I would not have met so many amazing friends and would not have experienced so many great memories.

Thank you to the amazing Richmond Jets Association and Scholarship Committee for choosing me as one of your scholarship recipients. I would also like to recognize these extraordinary coaches: Ray Hung, Shawn Harrington, Jeff Danis, Bob Frid, Gary Louis, Shawn McKlusky, Shane Hohlweg and many others for helping me become who I am today.

Aidan

 

Hockey has been a big part of my life and I do not think I will be as passionate about something as I am about the game of hockey. The enjoyment it brings is indescribable as it is a very big factor for why I am very passionate about playing higher-level hockey. Once I graduate, I plan on not only playing a higher level of hockey and pursuing playing hockey in the junior A level. In the future, my career goal is to become a detective to give back to my community after post-secondary. I am also planning to contribute to the hockey community as a coach and trying to give young boys and girls the great experience I had when playing the game of hockey.

I already have countless hours of coaching with P.E.H.S, Richmond Jets association, and the Canadian Tire program, First Shift. I also intend to make it a responsibility of mine to teach kids proper work habits and also making hockey a positive experience they would never forget. I do believe that hockey for kids if taught the right way, is an unforgettable and enjoyable experience. Hockey teaches kids responsibility at a young age and it also teaches them that anything is possible if they work hard and put their heads to it. I have seen what hockey has done for kids and how it has affected them in such a positive way. The game of hockey has not only brought kids closer together, but closer to their family and peers outside of hockey, and I am very eager and excited to be part of that positive journey.

The game of hockey has helped me become a better listener and has developed my people skills gradually. Those people skills, I believe, will help me affect the community in a positive way and ultimately change the lives of thousands of people in my role as not only a coach but also a police officer. I do believe that once it is all said and done, the culture I have created with the kids I’ve taught and the many people I have talked to and helped will affect the next generation, to inspire the generation after them. On and off the ice I carry the lessons and skills I have learnt from hockey: commitment, sportsmanship and a spirit of generosity.

Serge

 

Whenever I get to join a new team, I am always excited about the new players that I will get to know as, by the end of the season, we have become good friends. I do owe these new friends something in return though, I owe them a commitment to the team. By joining a hockey team, I am: committing myself to the team, going to every ice time that I can, listening, learning and leading by example. That being said, I am not just committing to ice times. My association has allowed me opportunities to partake in ways to help the community, such as fundraisers, food bank drives, and community cleaning efforts.

Hockey is a team sport, so on the ice, I have learned how to work with all sorts of different personalities and coaching styles. It is good to learn this early on in life because in the future I will have to work will all sorts of people. For the past three years, I have had the privilege of volunteering in my association as a goalie mentor. However, at first, I was nervous as I had never coached or even taught anything in my life. With two older siblings, I was excited for this opportunity to help out and be a leader. I was in an unfamiliar situation and wondered if I would be judged if I asked for help. I decided that it would be best for the goalies if I asked the coaches for help. This way the kids would get the most out of their learning experience and I too would learn what was important from a coaching perspective. During the hockey season, not only was I mentoring the goalies but also the coach was mentoring me. The outcome from the season was the best of both worlds. I was able to rely on the coach for general teaching practices, learn how to mentor effectively, gain confidence and utilize my past hockey experiences to help the younger goalies. I learned that asking for help isn’t a sign of failure and that there are often many positive outcomes for everyone involved.

More directly, hockey gave me my first job. My uncle knows the owners of a local sports store, and with my hockey experience, they offered me a job in the warehouse. I was lucky to have training from my cousin whom I respect and to work for an excellent owner. My cousin and I had to work quickly and efficiently because the orders still arrived even if we weren’t finished with the last one. We also had to communicate extremely well to make sure we didn’t lose any merchandise or mid-price product. I quickly realized that this would not be a boring job. We were constantly working and at the owner’s direction, we had to carve out our break time. At first, all the tasks kept stacking up and I was worried that we would never finish. But by the end of the week, I was taught by my cousin and the owner about the value of taking the time to assess the situation, prioritize work and assign tasks. This summer job gave me an experience beyond simply pricing and moving boxes. Also, I was able to share what I learned about communication and organizational skills with my classmates during my leadership course at school that fall.

I am honoured to play a sport where I have developed many friendships, learned how to commit myself to a team, and have had opportunities to support my community. Hockey is a great sport, but more than that, I have had experiences and opportunities that I would not have had if not for my involvement in the sport. I am truly grateful, and that is what hockey means to me.

Garrett

 

The game of Hockey means so much to me as an individual. I went all the way from Hockey 1 now to Midget year 3. It seems like that first practice with my parents tying my skates was only yesterday. Playing hockey through all my years has certainly affected me and made me a better person through all aspects of the game. Sportsmanship is a massive part of hockey and is a very big part of how I personally play the game of hockey.

The game of hockey helped me meet and build relationships with many great people. My coaches initially showed me how to be a part of a team. This eventually moved on to me leading a team in these past few years. Hockey has taught me how to be competitive with sportsmanship that has carried into my everyday life. There have been some great role models within the organization that have helped me develop as a player and more importantly as a person. I would like to thank all the many coaches and volunteers that have enabled me to play the game I love.

Sportsmanship is a key part of the game and I have definitely learned a lot of it in my 12 years playing hockey. From those back-to-back tournament games to that odd late-night Tuesday ice. there have been many great games, trips, and tournaments. I am very thankful I have had the opportunity to be a part of it. One of the best parts of the game is the teammates and all the adventures you go on and off the ice. Unfortunately in these trying times, we haven’t been able to play as much this year. I am still very grateful for these ice times giving me something to look forward to each week.

I am very thankful for the Richmond jets organization for helping me learn hockey and the fair play that has shaped me into the man I am today. Moving forward in my endeavours to college I will take many of the things hockey has taught me. From working together as a unit on the ice to volunteering in my community. This stems from playing hockey all these years and seeing everyone around me volunteer and support the community.

The main thing I am going to take away from hockey will be the friendships I have made along the way. The leadership skills I developed are also something that will help me in the future greatly. I have grown up playing basketball, hockey, and football, It is an integral part of my life inside and outside the sports communities. Many matches have been played throughout my Richmond hockey career, some tougher than others but sportsmanship is always at the core of this game I love.

I continue to love playing hockey and look forward to supporting the community for many years to come. I am proud that no matter how tough it may have been, I did not quit and continued to play the game I love so much.

James