Each fall thousands of amateur hockey players hit the ice across Nova Scotia as minor hockey season kicks off, and for the first time this year, 10-year-old Jack wanted to be one of them. But as his family experienced financial challenges due to several unforeseen circumstances, they worried they may not be able to make Jack’s dream come true.
This is where KidSport Nova Scotia was able to get the assist and help Jack get into the game with a $500 KidSport grant.
“He’s very happy. He’s excited to go to practice and he likes to learn new skills,” says Jack’s mom Chrystal. “When he’s out there, he’s a little more on the cautious side in terms of speed because he’s not as comfortable with fast stopping or things like that. But he’s definitely progressing since the first practice.”
Going into the season not knowing anyone, Chrystal says the team has been very welcoming, with Jack already becoming close to one of the other boys. Likewise, Chrystal has found kindness in the other parents and coaches.
“They’ve all been extremely helpful, which is nice because as a parent who’s extremely new to hockey, I didn’t know certain things,” says Chrystal. “Even just with some gear and the proper way to put it on. He had a sock fall down at practice the other day and one of the coaches came over and said, ‘Hey, if you get some tape and just tape them up, it works a lot better.’”
Jack first became interested in hockey after spending summers playing street hockey with his dad. Then, when his friends who were already playing started taking the sport more seriously Jack wanted to try out for a team.
But this year presented Jack’s family with some challenges that made sport fees more of a hurdle.
Between Jack’s dad suffering a workplace injury that forced him to take a few months off of work, the family unexpectedly having to find new housing and Jack’s youngest brother needing to spend several weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the IWK, Chrystal knew it would be tough, but she didn’t want to deny Jack the chance to play hockey.
“Sports are such a great outlet for the kids. But this year was just a little tougher and a little tighter to try and go out of my way to make it work somehow.”
Thankfully, Chrystal’s friend recommended she apply for a grant through KidSport Nova Scotia.
“I found it very easy to apply, which was extremely comforting to me because I have two other boys at home and one of them is an infant, so I don’t have a lot of sit-down time to dedicate to something like this. I usually have to do stuff through nap time, but the website was very easy to navigate,” she explains.
The Halifax-based minor hockey association Jack now plays for says KidSport has been, and continues to be, a great benefit to their families grappling with the growing costs of minor hockey.
“As a non-profit minor hockey association one of our main objectives is to try and help get as many kids on the ice playing and enjoying the game of hockey as we can. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce the financial barriers to families in support of that objective,” says the club president. “We are tremendous supporters of this program and the benefits it brings to our hockey family.”
And with Jack finally getting the chance to play the game he has been admiring for years, his dad has made a full recovery and this little brother is thriving.
“We really appreciate everything that Sport Nova Scotia does for people that need the support, and Jack’s so happy being in hockey. We just owe a big thank you,” says Chrystal.
