Like many hockey moms across the country, Kasey Salmi is no stranger to her local arena. She can often be found either shuttling her son Zachary to and from Arcadia Arena in Phoenix, or in the stands cheering his team on. What’s a little different about Kasey though, is that she laces up the skates and hits the ice every week!

Not content to just sit on the sidelines, Kasey along with a few other moms whose sons played in the same association VOSHA (Valley of the Sun Hockey Association), started taking lessons last January with instructor Jon Holliday.  “It was fun, footloose and fancy free; no strings attached, time for us not as moms but as ourselves.” says Kasey.

Within a few months the group had grown to five and they entered themselves in a local 3-on-3 tournament to benefit Breast Cancer. At this point they were a team, but without jerseys or an identity.  Cue the team’s sense of humor and creativity. (more…)

This past week, the team here ventured out into the cold and battled the elements to host a BBQ for the University of Victoria Intramural program. You wouldn’t think the rain, wind and temperature would play much of a factor in the middle of June but as you can see from the picture below, we were forced to find other ways of staying warm…

This event was the first of many we are planning for the summer.  So if your club is in the greater Vancouver area and has an upcoming tournament or event, send us an email or give us a call and we’ll supply the hot dogs and refreshments.  Until then, make sure to pack some extra layers, because you never know when you’re going to get blind sided by a hail storm (even if it is the middle of June).

As North Americans, we sometimes fail to realize how fortunate we are. We take small things for granted; running water, access to education, political stability but even more than that we have the ability to make choices and follow them through. I recently decided to take up soccer which for me meant going to Wal Mart to buy a $6 dollar soccer ball, calling my friends who had been soccer coaches and heading over to a well maintained, nearby field. I could even use TeamPages to set up a team page that would send us all notifications about our weekly games. But what if you lived in a country with no soccer balls, no grassy fields and no one who even knew how to play the game? What if you lived in a poverty ridden neighborhood where your daily worries were not where to buy the cheapest soccer ball but how you were going to find food for the day?

An organization called Opportunitas Aequa not only asked these questions but came up with a solution. Inspired by a passage in Romeo Dallaire’s shake hands with the Devil, OA set out to bring soccer to communities who would otherwise be without it. The passage they read described the terror and desperation felt by those living in Rwanda, an African country which saw the genocide of over 800,000 people in 100 days during 1994. Yet amidst the horror and chaos children were smiling, smiling because they were kicking a ball made of twigs and vines. It was this that prompted the 5 university students to set out and bring these smiles to other communities in need.

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This week’s featured community was chosen because I came across an assistant coach that does a great job of supporting her team. My favorite message that she posted for her team on her Team Page was that “Proper Practice Prevents Poor Performance” also known as the 5 P’s. Additionally, she made a note about the importance of staying hydrated to prevent cramping and improve performance. I thought that these educational and insightful comments, which were posted as part of the pre-season preparation (how’s that for more P words?), were an example of someone trying to go the extra mile and also a great use of TeamPages. So without any further delay I present to you Abby Roth and the Kutztown High School Girls Soccer Team.

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February 11th-17th

Our first community of the week features Nick Ross, a full time police officer, father of four and coach of three. I wanted to highlight him because of his hard work and dedication as both a coach and a father. I e-mailed him some questions and had originally thought that I would use his responses to create a story. However, once again Nick truly went the extra mile and the story he sent me is both rich and heartwarming, I would not change a thing about it.

I am sure many of you can relate to the challenges of balancing your work life with your coaching and parenting life, Nick’s story contains some helpful suggestions and insights about how to do this. So grab a cup of hot chocolate, take a load off and prepare to read his moving story.

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