Twenty-five boys and girls, age 12 to 15, from Ecole Sophie Barat take part in the Hockey Education Reaching Out Society program at Ahuntsic Arena on Thursday. The free program also gives children in economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods the chance to learn the game.
Hilari Berrueco Garcia landed flat on her back but got up and kept skating tentatively around the ice.
Manuel Arechiga struggled mightily to stay upright as he skated slowly over to where other students had gathered around their coach.
Manuel estimated he had fallen about 30 times since he donned skates for the first time in his life the week before.
"The hardest part is to get steady," said Manuel, 16, who arrived in Montreal last year from Guadalajara, Mexico.
The tumbles at the Ahuntsic Arena Thursday – and there were several – didn't seem to faze the 25 high school students who are taking part in a new hockey program in Montreal.
Launched in Vancouver in 1999, the Hockey Education Reaching Out Society – or HEROS – is a charitable organization that uses hockey to attract youth to a program that offers support for education, self-esteem building and life skills training such as teamwork and responsibility.
The free program also gives children in economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods the chance to learn the game.
More than half of the students from École Sophie Barat in Ahuntsic are from abroad – countries such as Mexico and Chile. Many in the group are putting on skates for the first time.
"They learn to persevere and to challenge themselves with something new. That's the point that we're trying to make to these kids," said Moezine Hasham, the director of programs for Eastern Canada.
The program is also hoping to create scholarships for the Montreal students once they finish high school if they want to continue on to post-secondary education, he said. "We're not just focused on hockey.
"We want them to stay in school. We want them to make good life choices."
During Thursday's session, the students' on-ice coach Gérard Gagnon led them through different drills. He stood near the boards showing them how to sweep their stick along the ice to shoot the puck.
"I'm thrilled by their level of determination," said
Gagnon, who is also technical director with the Ahuntsic Braves minor hockey association and a hockey analyst on Radio-Canada.
"They don't get discouraged."
Hilari, who is from Mexico, skated for the first time this month.
"It's a bit dangerous but it's nice. I find it really interesting," said Hilari, 14.
Students in the two-year program practise once a week. They're on the ice from about 11:45 to 1 p.m., which means they miss one period at school, but have to make up the work.
The program focuses on four behaviours: listening, respect, discipline and fun, which teachers are encouraged to reinforce.
The message they've told the kids and their parents is that they want the students to succeed in their studies, first of all, said François Legault, vice-principal at École Sophie Barat. Next comes good behaviour and then learning hockey skills. "It's in that order that we want," said Legault, adding the HEROS program wants the same thing.
The National Hockey League Players' Association provided the equipment for the students. Getting outfitted for hockey can cost $1,000, Hasham said.
Kaly-Ann Gaudet is one of five girls in the program. She already knew how to skate and had wanted to play organized hockey, but said it was too costly.
They have a good team and it isn't intimidating, Kaly-Ann said.
"Everyone falls, everyone laughs. And it's fun."
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Source: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/cutting+edge+school+program/3680399/story.html
