Each week in the heart of B.C.’s capital, two HEROS programs offer inspiration to an amazing group of young players.
With their volunteer mentors devoting an immense sense of passion and dedication to the work that they do with HEROS, and in the community, HEROS in both Victoria programs are instilled with pride, confidence, and care on a weekly basis.
Mena, the lead on-ice instructor at HEROS after school program, and Sean, the program coordinator for HEROS in-school program, as well as the rest of the mentorship team have created a fun and welcoming space for the young people in their community to play, learn, and grow through the game of hockey.
First launching in 2019, the Victoria chapter marked the addition of HEROS’ 23rd program with the help of Mena, a local councillor in Saanich.
Working with HEROS’ Victoria chapter since the very start, Mena, who has 30 years of on-ice experience as an instructor, was first approached by HEROS’ Founder Norm Flynn while he was looking for the perfect candidate to lead the charge in this new program. Needless to say, it’s been a great match ever since.
“I grew up at the rink,” said Mena. “I think I skated before I walked”.
Skating has always been a family affair for Mena, “I had the privilege of having a family that was able to put me through pretty intense figure skating training. I ended up skating professionally as a figure skater and I work with hockey players now. My husband and I were fortunate we could put our kids through [hockey].”
But she knows that there are some young people who aren’t so lucky.
“Hockey is not a sport that’s available to everybody,” said Mena. “And if there’s something I can give back to enable other kids to have this experience I want to be a part of that and the HEROS Hockey program is one of them. You see the joy it brings to the kids and the improvements and their successes in their one 45 minute practice a week. It’s very rewarding and it’s a joy to be a part of.”
Sean, a fifth-grade teacher, is now in his second season as program coordinator, leading the newest HEROS players in Victoria’s in-school program, which began last January.
Before getting started with HEROS, Sean was looking to create a hockey program for his students but ran into barriers when getting started, “I was looking at just getting a skating program started because the idea of getting all the gear and everything was unfathomable,” explained Sean. “But then I talked to someone in another school who was affiliated with HEROS in their after-school program. He gave me a contact and I eventually came up with Kevin’s number, and I connected with Kevin [Hodgson] and it just happened that I called at the right time.”
A passionate teacher, Sean was happy to pull a program like this together for his students, “I was really trying to start up a hockey program at our school for students who maybe needed a little something extra, or who didn’t have the opportunity [to play hockey]. I thought it’d be a great way to find a vehicle to connect with these kids,” said Sean.
“This year I’ve got 25 students who, hockey wasn’t an option for them, or they needed a leadership opportunity, or they needed a place where they could be successful. Now, once a week on Wednesdays during the lunch hour, we all go and learn and play hockey. Kevin and Norm, they were so onboard. I know for a lot of these students it would be really hard after school for transportation and so my idea was to bring it to them.”
While Mena and Sean’s HEROS journeys may have a different beginning, they have both built incredible connections with the players in each of their programs, and seeing the players improve week after week puts a smile on both their faces.
Unique to HEROS Victoria
Just like HEROS players, each chapter is unique in how it delivers programming. For both programs in Victoria, the players and mentors have created their own traditions to enjoy each week. “I always have music on at the beginning when the players warm up and then we have the lessons,” said Mena. “Because I teach with the mic, it’s really a great tool to keep everything organized and the kids can hear me wherever I am.”
As one of her tools, Mena uses a cordless microphone on the ice as years ago she sustained damage to her vocal cords.
“But at the end after we bring everyone together, they all take a knee at the centre circle, we do our four HEROS behaviours chant and then we have our victory lap. And then we have our Tunnel of Fame skate out,” Mena explained. “So, I put the music on and it’s usually just something like We Are The Champions. It’s something that really pulls at the heartstrings.”
“The coaches and the volunteers, we put our sticks up to create a tunnel and then as the players come out the tunnel, I announce their name. So that’s definitely a tradition we have and the kids really love it,” said Mena.
Something fun and unique to the players at Victoria’s in-school program is the terminology used to describe hockey gear, created together by Sean, another teacher who works alongside Sean in his school and the HEROS players.
“One of the cool things is we get to ride the bus down from our school and to the rink,” said Sean. “It’s only like 10 minutes long. On the way down to the rink we made up this game of naming all the hockey gear as we go. For example, ‘What do you call this like the helmet?’ And the kids will say ’The bucket!” ‘What do you call the skates?’ and they’re like ‘the Jets!”
“So, it’s all these kind of hilarious nicknames for all the gear and they all think it’s pretty funny,” said Sean. “Now they’re starting to use it on the ice right now like, ‘Oh, we gotta go down there so I can get my jets on to go on the ice.’”
An integral piece of the Victoria HEROS programs that cannot be overlooked or overstated is how the community has come together and rallied as one to show their support for HEROS players. Incredible partnerships with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, NHLPA Goals and Dreams, The City of Victoria, Victoria Police Department, and the Victoria Royals WHL team have been instrumental in delivering programming in these communities from the very beginning, with some even joining first year HEROS players at their equipment fitting last season!
“This select group of 25 kids,” said Sean, “we all got to go down and then get outfitted with brand new gear, which a lot of them, you know, for a lot of families would be impossible because, you know, hockey equipment is so expensive. We all got to get our gear and go put it on the first time on the rink. I don’t think I’ll ever forget when all of them were dressed, and the Victoria Royals were there to support us, and the Victoria police were there to support us and help us.”
The Victoria after school program also has a deep connection with the community, with Mena continuing the tradition of making hockey a family affair. Her four sons, one of which also happens to be a captain of a local Junior A team, have taken the initiative to spend their time helping out and interacting with the HEROS players in Victoria. Over time, they have forged a strong connection with HEROS, and the players they see week in and week out.
“It’s given me the opportunity to sort of empower him as a leader and say every week I want four of your players out in full gear and they come out and they know my expectations,” said Mena. “They don’t come out and sit in a corner talking. They’re spread out amongst the kids, engaging down at their level. Maybe they’re on one knee talking to them or playing pass, so those moments too are pretty special and unique. Keeping the HEROS kids engaged in something in their community and their neighbouring community is super important.”
Both HEROS programs in Victoria are, at their core, very similar to every other HEROS program across the country, but Mena and Sean have worked tirelessly to make the programs every bit as unique as their players. Through their incredible connections with so many partners throughout Victoria, they have built programs that have their own identity, while still giving players all the tools they need to find success on their life journey.
Yes, HEROS programs share many common goals and traits, but they also have their own unique personalities, just like the players. We know it’s not easy to travel across 9 Canadian cities to check out each and every HEROS chapter, seeing what makes them so special, so we decided to give you a glimpse of each chapter through Along the Boards. Each, HEROS Coast to Coast segment will highlight a different chapter, providing you with an inside look at how HEROS programs in your community operate and what you can do locally, and nationally to support them.
It will also answer burning questions such as, “What snacks do HEROS players in Ottawa like the most?”, “How many alumni from Vancouver are receiving HEROS scholarships?”, “How does Tony Wray keep the Jane and Finch HEROS storage room so organized?”, and so many more.
This holiday season, we’re grateful to share with you the impact HEROS donors, volunteer, and partners have on our youth. If you’re able, please consider supporting Mena, Sean, and all our HEROS in Victoria by making a donation today.
On behalf of the HEROS team, we wish you and your loved ones a very happy holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you around the rink in the new year!