Minor hockey week celebrates lessons learned

A nod goes out to the coaches and players during minor hockey week in Jasper.

Playing minor sports gives kids a lot of important tools, said coach Kelly Bossio of the girls’ Midget Grizzlies Monday night, while the team performed skating drills around the rink.

“It teaches you how to work on a team, and you do that in real life, and the discipline of training and the rewards,” he said, adding many of the lessons players learn are real life skills.

In the right environment, being part of a hockey team can be a very positive experience, said Bossio, who played minor hockey as a kid and whose two daughters now play.

Being a coach, Bossio said he’s learned about being organized and getting the kids organized, but also about how important it is to makes the players feel good about themselves.

“If you do it right, I’ve learned how great an impact it can be,” he said. “Fun’s important too, we’re all about fun. It’s challenging, coaching kids, helping them balance the pressures of life.”

The girls’ Midget Grizzlies team, which consists of players between 15 and 18 years old, practice twice a week for 75 minutes each night, and play nearly every weekend. In Jasper, a few younger girls play for the Grizzlies to make up the numbers.

Bossio, who’s been coaching the team for four years, said it’s been great watching the team grow. “There are over 30 girls playing hockey between those two teams (Midget and Bantam),” he said. “Four years ago there were five.”

This season, Bossio said the team is just below a .500 winning average, a pretty impressive statistic for a team that’s just a few years old.

“We’ve won lots, tied, we’re competitive in every game, we have a chance to win every game. But the greatest lesson the girls have learned is that it’s not always about winning,” he added.

“They work hard, so it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose. It’s fun to win, but you have to lose too.”

Jessica Karpo, 15, is a player and captain for the Jasper Midget Grizzlies team. She said playing minor hockey has taught her sportsmanship and to never get down on herself.

“Throughout life, it’s something you take with you,” Karpo said, adding the Jasper team is unique because the teammates get along exceptionally well.

How long does she plan to play hockey? “Hopefully the rest of my life,” she said.

Minor hockey week runs from Jan. 9 to 18, and the Jasper Grizzlies Midget girls play Slave Lake in the Jasper Arena Saturday at 3:15 p.m. For more information on area minor hockey, visit www.sturgeonpembinahockey.com.