50p
Brentwood Hockey: From Hong Kong to Seoul to Nigeria
The Brentwood Hockey program typically restocks itself each year with a new roster of players from familiar locations. Talented players within BC, Alberta, Ontario, and even the U.S. have filled the ranks and contributed to Brentwood’s continued success in this frozen sport. This year however, three courageous students at opposite ends of their Brentwood careers and from three very distant countries have taken up the challenge of joining Brentwood Hockey.
Damian M is a Grade 9 student who has spent the last four years living in Nigeria. Though an avid fan of the NHL and hockey in general, the lack of natural ice or ice rinks in West Africa made skating, let alone playing hockey, impossible, Damian may have been unable to play due to these climate related challenges, but he nonetheless practiced when he could, playing road hockey with friends and roller blading around his neighborhood. Back in Canada (the beating heart of hockey) this year, Damian was finally able to seize the opportunity offered by the school and join the program.
Warren, from Hong Kong, is in his final year at Brentwood. The idea of hockey (not a well-known sport in Hong Kong either) came to him through his cousin Edwin Lee, who also went to Brentwood and played hockey in 2000, his graduating year. Warren remembers watching his cousin play league games in Hong Kong and wishing that he could learn to play as well but the lack of elementary age teams in the city forced Warren to abandon the idea. In this, his final year at Brentwood, Warren decided to carry on the family legacy and give hockey a shot.
Chan S from Seoul, Korea came to Brentwood in Grade 9 and immediately found an interest in hockey. “All the guys would watch Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday in the house and it seemed like the thing to do.” Chan even looked around Seoul for a rink where he could practice his skating, but couldn’t find one close enough to his home. He did, however, persevere and has enjoyed his senior year with the development team.
Damian, Warren and Chan admit that those first practices were difficult. Not only did the three have to learn how to skate with full equipment on, but they also had to work on puck handling, passing, and shooting. Moreover, the neophytes had to keep up with the training drills alongside teammates with many years of experience. Through the continual support of their coach, Mr. Flynn, and hours of practice, these hurdles have been overcome. They all say that their skating and stick handling abilities improved tremendously. In fact, the three recently challenged themselves in games against Dwight International School and Chemainus Secondary. They can also be seen this Thursday afternoon at 2:00 and 4:30 at Kerry Park in their final games of the year. Book your rinkside tickets early to avoid disappointment!
This past term has convinced all three of the value of hockey. Damian will return next season for more icetime and he is enthusiastic about his future skill improvement. Warren and Chan are graduating this year but emphasizes that they have truly enjoyed their time in the program and encourage any new or old students, especially international students who would otherwise not have the chance, to give Brentwood hockey a shot. With such enthusiastic courage to face these challenges, the future of Brentwood Hockey certainly looks bright.
Robin J
Damian M is a Grade 9 student who has spent the last four years living in Nigeria. Though an avid fan of the NHL and hockey in general, the lack of natural ice or ice rinks in West Africa made skating, let alone playing hockey, impossible, Damian may have been unable to play due to these climate related challenges, but he nonetheless practiced when he could, playing road hockey with friends and roller blading around his neighborhood. Back in Canada (the beating heart of hockey) this year, Damian was finally able to seize the opportunity offered by the school and join the program.
Warren, from Hong Kong, is in his final year at Brentwood. The idea of hockey (not a well-known sport in Hong Kong either) came to him through his cousin Edwin Lee, who also went to Brentwood and played hockey in 2000, his graduating year. Warren remembers watching his cousin play league games in Hong Kong and wishing that he could learn to play as well but the lack of elementary age teams in the city forced Warren to abandon the idea. In this, his final year at Brentwood, Warren decided to carry on the family legacy and give hockey a shot.
Chan S from Seoul, Korea came to Brentwood in Grade 9 and immediately found an interest in hockey. “All the guys would watch Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday in the house and it seemed like the thing to do.” Chan even looked around Seoul for a rink where he could practice his skating, but couldn’t find one close enough to his home. He did, however, persevere and has enjoyed his senior year with the development team.
Damian, Warren and Chan admit that those first practices were difficult. Not only did the three have to learn how to skate with full equipment on, but they also had to work on puck handling, passing, and shooting. Moreover, the neophytes had to keep up with the training drills alongside teammates with many years of experience. Through the continual support of their coach, Mr. Flynn, and hours of practice, these hurdles have been overcome. They all say that their skating and stick handling abilities improved tremendously. In fact, the three recently challenged themselves in games against Dwight International School and Chemainus Secondary. They can also be seen this Thursday afternoon at 2:00 and 4:30 at Kerry Park in their final games of the year. Book your rinkside tickets early to avoid disappointment!
This past term has convinced all three of the value of hockey. Damian will return next season for more icetime and he is enthusiastic about his future skill improvement. Warren and Chan are graduating this year but emphasizes that they have truly enjoyed their time in the program and encourage any new or old students, especially international students who would otherwise not have the chance, to give Brentwood hockey a shot. With such enthusiastic courage to face these challenges, the future of Brentwood Hockey certainly looks bright.
Robin J
75p
