YEARS INVOLVED WITH SPECIAL OLYMPICS: I have been involved as a coach with Special O for four years.
SPORTS YOU COACH: Floor Hockey C. Also, I coached the Track team two years ago and loved it.
HOW YOU BECAME INVOLVED: I have a downs syndrome son (Nicholas) who loves any game that involves any sort of hockey and so it was an easy fit.
WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT COACHING SPECIAL O ATHLETES: I look forward to September every year and seeing the team. In the time that I have been involved I have seen this group make big strides in the way they play the game. We went from last place in tournaments in the past to making it to finals this year. A lot of it has to do with group maturing as we were always one of the younger teams around. I look forward to coaching this team for many years to come. There are challenges but there are no matter what age they are or what sport it is.
BEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN COACHING: One of my best accomplishments with Special O was going with the Vancouver C team to the winter games in Kelowna last year as an assistant coach. It was one of the most rewarding things as a coach that I have ever done. We never won a single game, but the effort that that group put into trying and the sportsmanship had me in tears the whole weekend. I have had a lot of success as a coach including winning the Nationals with an under 18 Hockey team. But that Kelowna experience was by far the best. Watching our group of Track athlete’s at a Richmond tournament two years ago work as hard as they did and accomplish what they did was as rewarding as it gets as well. I’m a bit of a softy and so I was close to tears the whole day of that meet. It was draining. Also watching the Floor Hockey C team at this year’s Regional improve so much was awesome.