Role Models hockey school keeps growing

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For three weeks in July, the Aboriginal Role Models Hockey School was open for three one-week sessions in Moosimin, Sask., Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton. Hundreds of Aboriginal kids ? ranging in the ages of six to 16 years ? attended.

The school was founded by National Hockey League scout Ron Delorme and Kevin Tootoosis.

Years ago, the two men were talking about hockey and decided to start up the school.

?It was probably about 10 years ago,? said Tootoosis of his initial query to Delorme, who played in the National Hockey League when he was younger. ?Ron and I sat down and I was more or less asking him questions about why there weren?t very many Native hockey players in the NHL.?

Delorme?s response, according to Tootoosis, was: ?He basically explained that he just felt that a lot of the kids weren?t getting seen. They weren?t getting the opportunities to play, and if they were talented enough, and they did go to camps, they really felt out of place.

?Maybe they experienced racism, or were just feeling uncomfortable. Ron felt we needed to start to try to get a message out to kids at a younger age. Tell them, ?Look, there are people out there who have succeeded, people like Ron (Delorme), like Gino Odjick, and others who?ve had to overcome a lot of obstacles in their hockey careers, but they?ve managed to succeed.?

After a while, Tootoosis gave Delorme a telephone call.

?About a month later, I gave (Ron Delorme) a call and said, ?Well, if you can help me get instructors, I?ll organize it,? so we decided to do it.?

Brent Dodginghorse, 22, who formerly played for the Western Hockey League?s Calgary Hitmen, not only agrees with the ideas behind the program, but has also been an instructor at the school for the past two years. Dodginghorse sees the benefits to the young players in attendance.

?I think it?s a good situation for a kid that wants an Aboriginal role model, but at the same time, wants quality in their hockey school because they offer so many good directions such as chalk talks, coaching, off-ice conditioning, nutrition, the power skating, and most of all, the role models.?

One main concern for most of the parents wanting their kids to attend a hockey school is the fiscal side of it. Many schools are about $400 for a week but, thanks to corporate assistance, the cost per child attending is only $200.

Included in this price are two hours on the ice (one in power skating, the other in skill-building drills), an hour?s worth of off-ice aerobic training, and a daily one-hour ?chalk talk? (dealing with things ranging from drug abuse to the actual business of hockey) for five days.

One of the main sponsors was the National Hockey League Players? Association, which paid for part of the ice time for all three camps this summer. They also provided 50 sets of equipment for the school, and all the jerseys for the Prince Albert camp. This was the first Aboriginal hockey school the players? association has ever endorsed.

For some First Nations kids, the whole issue of culture shock is something that is mind-boggling. Ron Delorme understands this, and hopes that some of these anxieties are relieved by some of the things learned at the camps.

?Because of the fact that Native kids? upbringing is a little bit different on the reserves, there?s nobody to tell them to watch for the green light, the red light, the yellow light, as far as crossing the road, and that?s just a little example. Our upbringing is a lot different than it is in the city. They have to understand (city) culture.?

There were others at the camp who did learn a lot, but things not included in the hockey school program. The main reason for this was because they were instructors at the camp who were not that familiar with Aboriginal culture.

?I think you can learn a little bit about the different culture,? said Lorne Molleken, who has taught at the school for all nine years.

?Certainly, my wife is aMetis Indian. You learn about people that come from Northern Saskatchewan and Northern B.C. and it?s nice to sit down with them and just discuss their way of life and what they see and what their young people are getting out of the hockey school.?

Karen Westby, one of the power skating instructors and a former national-class figure skater, also enjoys learning about her students? culture.

?For me, it?s very, very interesting to learn their customs and stuff,? said Westby. ?For instance, some of the kids were explaining to me what bannock was. So for me, that?s interesting. We were out to a powwow at Mistewasis. I found that amazing. That was really great, just to see the dancing.?

Perseverance seems to be the main lesson being taught to the kids at the camp. For Dodginghorse, who entered the WHL at 19 years of age, this has definitely been the case.

?I always think, being a Native person, you?ve got to work twice as hard. Everything that you do good, you?ve got to be really proud of and I guess you?ve always got to look out and step a little bit further than anybody else, and strive a little harder. Coming through Junior A was definitely a blessing in disguise for me because I got to work on some of the weaker parts of my game.

?Going into the Western Hockey League at a late age, at age 19, was a good thing, but also a bad thing, as far as pro hockey went. I think I stepped in quite nicely with the (Calgary Hitmen) and I contributed with the team that I wanted to play for. That?s what it?s about, is just having fun and going out there and do what you want to do.?

The future plans for the camp seem to be more expansion, according to Tootoosis.

?We?re thinking of maybe adding one or two more (camps), so I think it will be between three to five weeks again,? said Tootoosis.

?I was certainly happy with Prince Albert. It went very well. We were pretty happy with the Moosimin one, too. I think we need to do a little more work on (publicity with) Edonton, and we have some interest in B.C. We also have some interest in doing one in Saskatoon.?