Teck Coaching Series brings Olympic-level expertise to Kamloops coaches and kids
This past weekend in Kamloops, British Columbia, some local hockey coaches and young players were lucky enough to receive an Olympic-level education, courtesy of Teck.
In its third incarnation, the Teck Coaching Series brought together three-time Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Botterill, 2006 Olympic team member Marty Turco, and the man the who coached Canada to silver at Lillehammer 1994, current Hockey Canada president and CEO Tom Renney, to lend their expertise.
The day began with an information workshop for the 30 coaches in attendance, highlighting such topics as leadership, training, teamwork, physical and mental health, and striving for excellence. Although all of the participating coaches are heavily involved in hockey, many of them also volunteer in other sports, such as baseball, soccer, volleyball and lacrosse, ensuring that the Olympic values learned will reach a wide range of youth.
Most of all, it was a chance for them to be inspired by Botterill, Turco, and Renney and the lessons learned from their respective Olympic journeys.
Following the workshop, the trio led an interactive on-ice clinic for 40 nine-year-old male and female hockey players from the area, who were also thrilled to get their hands on some Olympian autographs and Olympic medals.
“We remember what it was like to be a kid playing the game and my parents always said they knew the game was so special because they could see my smile out of the cage when I was playing and that’s what we saw on the ice today,” Botterill said. “They’re great kids, so dynamic, and they really did show the love of the game. So if you look at the grassroots level, it’s something that Canada should be really proud of.”
After all of the fun and hardwork, Botterill and Renney dropped the ceremonial puck ahead of the Kamloops Blazers and Vancouver Giants WHL game on Saturday night.
Jennifer Botterill and Tom Renney perform the ceremonial puck drop before the WHL game between the Vancouver Giants and Kamloops Blazers on Saturday December 3, 2016 (photo: Allen Douglas)
Teck has been a proud national partner of the Canadian Olympic Team since 2009. Through the Teck Coaching Series, Teck supports athletic excellence and encourages physical activity in local communities where it operates.
The Teck Coaching Series began in 2013 in Sparwood, BC where Olympic bronze medallist soccer player Karina LeBlanc was joined by her coach John Herdman. In 2014, two-time Olympic champion Catherine Ward and the woman who led the 2002 women’s Olympic hockey team to gold, Danièle Sauvageau, took the series to Trail, BC.
