Rachel Spekking:
Please describe a quick background of your self?
My Identify is Rachel Spekking, I presently work for a policing company providing essential incident response help to first responders. My instructional background is Bachelor of Arts, main in criminology and psychology in addition to a bachelor of enterprise administration. I’m seeking to full my masters in counseling psychology.
Hometown, the place and when did you begin to play Discipline Hockey? Did you play area hockey in School/College? In that case, what college?
Burlington, Ontario. I began enjoying in grade 9 at Aldershot highschool. I used to be at all times an ice hockey participant however fell in love with area hockey the second I picked up the stick. One of many hardest decisions I needed to make was to decide on my college primarily based on this system and sadly it didn’t have a area hockey group. Out of my 4 colleges, that was the one one on the time that was in a position to supply me the double main and I had to choose for my profession over my love of the game. The benefit of area hockey is it doesn’t matter what, there’s a group you’ll be able to play on to proceed with the camaraderie and be capable of keep throughout the neighborhood.
What made you determine to return again to the game to teach, and why is it vital for feminine athletes to be position fashions to youthful woman athletes?
I really began teaching at 16 years outdated as my junior home league group didn’t have a coach. Then I graduated and headed to college and my finest good friend remained for a victorious 12 months, she was in a position to proceed enjoying for the regional group, so I got here again to be assistant coach at 19 years outdated to maintain being concerned within the sport that I missed whereas at college. My favourite factor about teaching is with the ability to be a job mannequin for the youthful athletes, not solely in sport however in life. My motto on the subject of teaching is that I would like the athletes to go away higher individuals than once they began, to have the ability to achieve success in life, not simply on the sphere. I’m attempting to show the athletes be assured in themselves, be snug dropping and bounce again from a loss as a result of they will come throughout many struggles of their lives and my purpose is to show them be resilient.
Favourite reminiscence of teaching?
I’ve constructed relationships with many gamers over time, my favorite recollections all stem from seeing them achieve each sport and in life. Watching them get into universities, get jobs, construct friendships and turn into assured in themselves. Teaching athletes is a lot greater than the game particular abilities you’ll be able to educate them, that’s solely a small a part of what teaching is. An athlete is a lot extra than simply an athlete, they’re mates, college students, companions and the whole lot in between. Once they come to the sphere, they create their difficulties and successes and that may influence the best way they play, so to solely coach sport particular abilities is barely impacting a small a part of who these athletes are as individuals, every one is exclusive in their very own means. So my favorite reminiscence is watching these athletes succeed, and develop and grow to be such wonderful individuals.
Laurie Montgomery
Please describe a quick background of your self?
I’m a bodily training instructor/coach at Laurel Heights Secondary College in Waterloo, ON the place I stay with my husband and two children. I’ve been instructing/teaching in some capability for over 20 years now at quite a lot of ranges.
Hometown, the place and when did you begin to play Discipline Hockey? Did you play area hockey in School/College? In that case, what college?
I grew up in Waterloo and began enjoying area hockey in center college after which continued on in highschool. There was not an excellent sturdy membership system on the time in Kitchener-Waterloo, however after leaving highschool and saying goodbye to my softball profession, I used to be lucky sufficient to play on the College of Waterloo underneath the management of Sharon Creelman, a three-time Olympian, and alongside some extraordinarily proficient teammates that taught me a lot in regards to the sport.
What made you determine to return again to the game to teach, and why is it vital for feminine athletes to be position fashions to youthful woman athletes?
Teaching got here naturally as part of my instructing profession and in addition when my daughter was sufficiently old to begin enjoying. I believe it’s so vital for younger females to see themselves represented of their sport – whether or not or not it’s teaching or officiating. I do know personally it paved a path for me by having sturdy feminine position fashions to look as much as, to be taught from, and to attempt to emulate. Not solely have been my coaches proficient athletes themselves, however they have been additionally good individuals – I nonetheless keep in touch with a lot of them greater than 30 years later!
Favourite reminiscence of teaching?
There are such a lot of wonderful teaching recollections I can mirror on – placing a stick in a 6 12 months outdated arms for the primary time and watching her be taught these newbie abilities, rising a highschool program at a model new college and inside 6 years discovering ourselves as 3-time silver medallists at OFSAA (2010-2012) after which lastly capturing OFSAA gold in 2013, or profitable gold at Could Meltdown this 12 months in our first 12 months with a aggressive program throughout the KW Dragons Membership system! Sport is such a strong instrument in so some ways. It’s central to so a lot of my recollections rising up, all through my profession and now as a guardian. I want everybody had the chance to expertise it!
