UNews - KidSport

New book featuring local hockey stories to benefit KidSport

caroline.zentner — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 21:57:46 +0000

From the dedicated moms and dads who climb out of their warm beds in the wintry dawn to get their child to the hockey rink, to the players who can remember their first goal like it happened a day ago, Dr. Gordon Hunter, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Management professor, wanted to give a voice to people’s everyday experiences with hockey in his new book.

Dr. Gordon Hunter has collected local hockey stories for his new book.

“There are books about Gordie Howe and Ron MacLean and Ken Dryden and those are good books, but there aren’t any books about normal folks and their experience with hockey when they’re growing up,” says Hunter, who’s already the author of four academic books. “When I told my younger son Robb he said ‘Finally, a book that someone will read.’”

He started collecting stories from people with a southern Alberta connection and compiled them into a book titled after one of his favourite sayings: The Older I Get the Better I Was.

“There are stories about guys who didn’t go very far in hockey, there are stories about some of the guys who played in the NHL or played professional in Europe and they are businessmen, lawyers and doctors here in Lethbridge,” he says.

The 40-chapter book includes contributions from Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman, who tells the story of going to the Montreal Forum to watch the Montreal Canadiens play, and Steve Craig, a colleague, who vividly recalls the phone call he got at age 15 inviting him to play on a AA team.

“I was playing on a Midget B team when I got a call from a Double-A team. I remember walking up to the phone, a rotary dial phone in the middle of the hallway at home. I was pretty excited; it’s all relative, but for me, that was just like being called to the pros,” says Craig.

Other contributors include U of L President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon, Brent Brooks, Mark Campbell, Rajko Dodic, Clint Dunford, and Darrin Harrold, a U of L grad and the head coach of the men’s national ice hockey team in Singapore. Several women also contributed chapters, including Cheryl Neufeld, commissioner of Coaldale REC hockey, Brook Paisley, goalie for the Pronghorns women’s hockey team, and the first chapter recounts experiences from local hockey moms.

Hunter’s own experiences with hockey have formed a thread that has run throughout his life. He grew up in Saskatoon and has always played goal. He played hockey throughout the years he was a student and then became a coach when his sons started playing.

“Seven years ago when I turned 60, I played one game and it took me two years to get into shape for that one game,” Hunter says. “I had a ball.”

The game was organized by Jeff, the Hunters’ older son, who had also arranged for the game to be recorded on video. Stories like these are peppered throughout Hunter’s book.

“When I sat down and talked to some of the people who are in the book and they got talking about their stories, I could see their eyes glistening over,” he says.

A book launch is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 10 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Paradise Canyon Golf Resort. Copies of the book, at a cost of $30, will be available to purchase at the launch and through the U of L Bookstore. Proceeds from the book will go to the Lethbridge branch of KidSport, a national non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to children who want to play sports.

Fun Run supports KidSport Alberta

trevor.kenney — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:04:04 +0000

President Mike Mahon and his wife Maureen will be leading the way for the second annual Getting to Know U Fun Run/Walk.

"We wanted it to be a local charity and something that fits with the theme of physical fitness and promoting an active community," says Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Chair of the run organizing committee. "We also want to continue to foster that community relationship the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has established with Lethbridge and southern Alberta."

The inaugural event drew participants from both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as well as the community as a whole. Copeland says the course is designed to give runners a look at the entire ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ campus, possibly showing people areas they've never seen before.

"People often come to campus for a very specific reason, and they rarely ever wander around. We designed the course to take in parts of campus that they might not usually get to, like the Breezeway and around Aperture Lake and so on," she says. "We also wanted to feature our new buildings such as the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building, Markin Hall and the new addition to the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, so it gives people the opportunity to see what's new on campus."

Registration for the event is $15 per person and can be done by contacting Sport and Recreation Services (403-329-2706, www.uleth.ca/sportrec).

Copeland says to keep in mind that the event is a fun run/walk and is open to everyone.

"Lots of people walked the course last year and had a great time with it," she says, adding there were a number of strollers being pushed around the course. "It's not a super-competitive event. We will have a clock this year so that people can chart their times but we're not issuing any official times. It's whatever you want to make of it."

Live music will be featured at the finish line, along with refreshments and, if last year was any indication, a number of excellent draw prizes. As well, the first 75 registrants will receive a special Fun Run hat.

"It's a lot of fun, a great way to really see the campus and a reason to get out and be active for a good cause."

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Fun Run to benefit local KidSport

trevor.kenney — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:18:00 +0000

The Get to Know You Fun Run gains status as an annual event this fall when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community gathers Saturday, Sept. 24 to challenge the scenic 5K campus course.

The run debuted as an installation event for President Mike Mahon and his wife Maureen last year and proved to be very popular, with more than 80 people taking part. It prompted organizers to look at the run as an annual opportunity to gather the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community for an activity that promotes health and wellness, all the while lending support to a local charitable organization. This year, all proceeds raised will go to support the local chapter of KidSport, an organization that provides support to children in order to remove financial barriers that prevent them from playing organized sports.

"We wanted it to be a local charity and something that fits with the theme of physical fitness and promoting an active community," says Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Chair of the run organizing committee. "We also want to continue to foster that community relationship the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has established with Lethbridge and southern Alberta."

The inaugural event drew participants from both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as well as the community as a whole. Copeland says the course is designed to give runners a look at the entire ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ campus, possibly showing people areas they've never seen before.

"People often come to campus for a very specific reason, and they rarely ever wander around. We designed the course to take in parts of campus that they might not usually get to, like the Breezeway and around Aperture Lake and so on," she says. "We also wanted to feature our new buildings such as the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building, Markin Hall and the new addition to the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, so it gives people the opportunity to see what's new on campus."

Registration for the event is $15 per person and can be done by contacting Sport and Recreation Services (403-329-2706, www.uleth.ca/sportrec).

Copeland says to keep in mind that the event is a fun run/walk and is open to everyone.

UNews - KidSport

New book featuring local hockey stories to benefit KidSport

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Fun Run supports KidSport Alberta

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Fun Run to benefit local KidSport

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