By Chris Lewis | Jan. 28, 2021
According to Mount Pearl Blade Minor Hockey Association volunteer Roary MacPherson, minor hockey programs in the community can do wonders for the youth.
MacPherson serves as team manager for the City Tire peewee team and has held that position for about three years.
He said that minor hockey organizations are beneficial to any community, as participation keeps young people active and introduces them to new hobbies and friends.
“It plays a big factor in how they progress into adulthood,” MacPherson said, as the Blades organization, likes minor hockey groups across the province, prepared to celebrate Minor Hockey Week last week. “They learn to play with a team. They develop and maintain really great friendships over the years, and it just teaches them so many important life skills: how to listen, how to show respect and how to put yourself in a position to get where you want to be.”
MacPherson said that many people like him volunteer for minor hockey teams because they love the sport. Another big motivator for him personally is that it’s a chance to spend time with his son Luke.
And he has seen the benefit of minor hockey in his son first hand, MacPherson said.
When he first got involved in hockey, MacPherson noted, Luke tried his best but was not immediately seeing the kind of results he wanted. But it didn’t take long before he started to see improvements, which MacPherson said teaches a valuable lesson for youth and adults.
“Seeing that kind of progression over the years, it makes you feel great because they feel great,” MacPherson said. “I’m a big believer in trying to improve upon everyone’s experience. My role as manager is to make sure every player on that team has the best year possible. On our team, we do our best to make every year one to remember.”
That beginning-to-end progression is what makes MacPherson so passionate about minor hockey in Mount Pearl.
“That’s something I’m happy to be a part of,” he said. “At the end of the year, when they see how much they’ve achieved and how much they’ve improved, it’s a great feeling for all of us.”
MacPherson said Covid19-related social distancing restrictions has had a big impact on minor hockey, even more so outside Newfoundland where some provinces have had to postpone play altogether.
He applauded Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador's efforts, and the Mount Pearl Blades organization, for putting together this year’s COVID-19 plan for getting back on the ice.
“It’s not the way it was years past, when you’d go to the rink, and it would be packed,” MacPherson said. “This year, with the necessary restrictions, teams are going to look a bit different…Only two parents are allowed (in the rink) at a time. But, every coach and every manager is working hard to make sure we all follow the rules in this plan as we hopefully make some strides forward.”
Despite the circumstances, MacPherson said it’s good to see games going ahead in any capacity.
“Not all kids are into hockey or basketball, but as long as you can find an activity that a kid loves and enjoys playing, that’s a very important part of any young person’s life,” he said.
