Mentorship program rewarding for Aboriginal youth

The Western Hockey League's Saskatoon Blades are once again providing a mentorship program for Aboriginal youth in their city.
This marks the sixth straight season the Blades are taking part in the program with youngsters from the White Buffalo Youth Lodge, a Saskatoon-based inner-city community centre.
The mentoring program allows the Aboriginal youth a chance to learn about hockey and teamwork from some role models (members of the Blades) in their community.
Other program goals include increasing the youngsters' self-esteem and their communication abilities.

This year's program will consist of five sessions.
At each session a Blades' coach and about four or five of the team's players will lead the Aboriginal youth through a one-hour workout on the ice. After each on-ice session participants are given a meal of pizza, followed up with a discussion on varying topics, such as drug awareness or being a good person.
Elders are also invited to this session and sometimes lead the discussions.
Amy Moats, the Blades' Manager of Game Day Operations and Public Relations, said the club is glad to be involved with the mentorship program once again this year.
"It's absolutely fantastic," she said of the program. "Quite a few of the players are quite involved in the community. This is just another way for them to give back."
In previous years between 30-50 Aboriginal youth have taken part in the program. As for this year, there are 40 youngsters that have signed up ranging in age from 8-12.
"The level of hockey abilities varies," Moats said, adding some of the program participants do play in a Saskatoon-based outdoor league. Those who wish to take part in the program do not actually have to be playing for a team this season. But they must know how to skate and either have their own or have access to hockey equipment. Plus, those who want to be considered for the program must make a commitment to attend all of the program sessions, on and off the ice.
To be accepted into the program, potential participants must also submit a brief essay on why they would like to be included. Parents of the participants are encouraged to take part, especially with the off-ice sessions. Besides discussions led by the Blades and elders, the off-ice gatherings will also be led by business leaders, police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police representatives.
In previous years the Blades have usually rotated their players that have helped out with the program. And Moats said there is never a problem getting players from the Major Junior A club to volunteer their time. In fact, in some cases players are the ones asking if they can help out. One of the Blades' players who helped out during the first session this season was forward Jeremy Boyer. The 19-year-old Saskatoon native is the only Aboriginal player on the Blades' roster this season.
"He's become one of our most popular players this year," Moats said.

Boyer is in his fourth season of playing in the WHL. But this is his first year with the Blades.
He spent the first three seasons of his junior career with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Even though he is the Blades' lone Aboriginal player, Moats said she was uncertain if Boyer would be involved with all of the sessions in the mentorship program this season since the club does tend to utilize different players. All of the sessions are staged at the Credit Union Centre, the Blades' home rink.
The first session this season was held on December 8 and the next one is scheduled for January 18. And then three more sessions will be staged after that.
Officials with the White Buffalo Youth Lodge also ensure that all of the participants have a way of getting to the Credit Union Centre, located on the outskirts of Saskatoon.
"They usually congregate at the lodge and the parents and elders drive them down together," Moats said. As well, all program participants will be invited back to the arena on Mar. 12 for the Blades' final regular season contest.
Prior to that game all of the youngsters will be allowed to go onto the ice where they will be acknowledged for having completed the program. And for doing so each participant will be presented with a Blades' jersey.