Sydney is geared up to take shots from the HEROS Kids. (Casey Freeman, CMRU.ca)
HEROS hockey is a charity led program that creates a sense of community and life skills through the power of hockey for youth in need of mentoring. The All Stars is a program for youth, grade eight and up, they provide children with teaching of hockey, hockey gear, transportation, snacks and off ice support all for free. HEROS Hockey is always looking for more passionate and engaging volunteers. The spelling mistake in HEROS is intentional, it is an acronym for:
- Hockey
- Education
- Reaching
- Out
- Society
Creating a sense of community with the teens can promote leadership and life skill opportunities within the program. Volunteers are there for on and off ice support throughout the program.
Sydney’s story
Sydney Ouellette is a current volunteer that went through the HEROS program herself, she is currently in her 11th year with HEROS. Since I have started volunteering with the program I have seen Ouellette help in many different ways, through getting the girl all stars ready to go on the ice, to taking shots as Ouellette herself is a goalie. I see how important the relationships she is building with the youth is to Ouellete.
I asked Oullette about what she has gained from her experiences through the program she says, “learning how to skate” as well as “the four HEROS behaviours; listening, respect, discipline and having fun.”
Ouellette explained that to make sure the youth are gaining skills from the program, at the beginning of each on ice practice the instructors will ask “how did you use the HEROS behaviour while you weren’t on the ice?”
Sydney’s favourite part of volunteering is “being able to have one-on-one relationships with the youth” while also “tying skates.” Ouellette is a dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer and the HEROS program is lucky to have her.
Personal reflection
This project impacted me personally in many ways, I got to see how much this program means to the children that are a part of it and the volunteers. I hope HEROS can use the promotional video I made for them and get more volunteers out in their many programs throughout the city. I am now volunteering with the HEROS All Star program and the Super HEROS program twice a week here in Calgary. Volunteering brings me so much joy and add into an aspect of my life that I have been missing while hanging out with the kids, and somewhat teaching them. Even though I can’t skate and help on the ice there is opportunities for me to help off the ice and create connections with the kids and the other volunteers. The HEROS program is such an amazing program, and they think about every little detail when it comes to setting the kids in the program up for success, such as rides to and from the rink, snacks for when they get there and supplying them with all the gear that is needed. I get to firsthand witness how excited the kids are to show up at the rink every week and get on the ice.
How you can contribute
HEROS Hockey is always looking for passionate and engaging volunteers for one of their nine programs throughout Canada, Victoria, Vancouver, Surrey, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Ottawa.
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