It may not have been easy, but the first hockey season run in a number of years by the Rankin Inlet Minor Hockey Association (RIMHA) without the community’s mega-talented rec director was a solid success.
RIMHA board member Gavin Gee coached the U13 age group this past season and said he sees, on average, about 200 kids go in and out of the arena on any given night.
He said you also see road hockey being played throughout the community on a continual basis.
“They’re out there playing road hockey every single night, whether it’s -40C or a beautiful evening,” said Gee. “Drive around Rankin and you’ll see road hockey nets everywhere.
“And Rankin is home to one of the most successful individuals in the world in regards to indigenous hockey, Jordin Tootoo.
“Kids here just love hockey.”
Gee said he’s watched kids who could have skated down the wrong path in life stay on the straight and narrow because playing hockey kept them busy and gave them goals in life.
He said over the years, thanks to the help of organized sports in general, he’s seen many youth develop good habits and choose the right path in life.
“Rankin strongly supports hockey and that helps it to continue growing as a strong community. Two people who have done so much to make it work are Donald and David Clark. They’ve done so much for hockey in this community.
“Another group are the refs. They make the games fair, which is so important because, as we all know, you put a bunch of kids on the ice with no rules and you’re not going to get the results you want.
“There’s nothing odd about that. It’s normal kid behaviour.”
Gee said, overall, the past minor-hockey season went well in Rankin.
He said the community had some huge skates to fill when recreation director David Clark went away to attend a sports coaching and management program at a Finnish university.
“We’ll never totally fill those skates, because we don’t have what David brings to the table in terms of experience and know how. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make it happen.
“We have to do it because of his legacy and what he’s accomplishing in his life right now.
“We can’t let die what we, as hockey parents, see as such a wonderful thing because David had to step aside for a little while. We all have to step-up and get it done. And, hopefully, we’ll get better year after year. In lots of ways, that was a real rallying call this season.
“It’s not a matter of whether you want to or not. We have to make this work because, when it boils down to why, it’s all about the kids. It’s about helping the younger generation keep out of trouble, stay
involved in something positive and create goals in life.”
Gee said there’s a lot of parents in Rankin who need to be thanked for their efforts in organizing, fundraising and supporting hockey in Rankin, and a big thank you is owed to A.J. Curley, Hannah Siksik and Craig Collier for making the past year work.
He said running a successful hockey program is a total team effort, on and off the ice.
“They say it takes a whole community to raise a child, so I would say it takes a whole community to raise every child. And, putting the time in to run hockey, or any organized sport, is part of that.
“Our tournaments went OK this past season, and each one went over well with the community, but there’s room for adjustment. With any event, you have to hold yourself accountable. For U9 to U18, we housed people from all over the Kivalliq and approximately 240 to 260 players at each tournament.
“That good for not just Rankin, but the whole Kivalliq area. Scheduling is always tough because we have a tournament right after Christmas and then it’s weekend, after weekend, after weekend, after that.
“That’s tough because people do get tired, so that’s one aspect where there is a little room for adjustment. But, we got through it and, most importantly, the kids got to play and really enjoy themselves. And that’s what it’s all about.”