This video was the fruits of many laborious hours (aka weeks) combing by way of months (aka years) of footage since my preliminary journey to the Himalayas in 2009.  My unbelievable crew at The Hockey Basis wished to verify we did issues proper earlier than we have been lastly able to share what we think about a really particular video. 

“How Hockey Helps” is the product of seven+ years supporting ice hockey in India, in addition to my experiences a decade in the past teaching in China on behalf of the New York Islanders’ Challenge Hope, mixed with a few years of teaching youth hockey gamers within the New York Metropolis space.  

Through the years, an increasing number of coaches have joined in on this unbelievable journey to alter lives through hockey, and we have all seen first-hand that hockey does certainly assist.  We at all times took pictures and movies of our journeys, however for a few years now, I felt like one thing was lacking.

So we made a video about How Hockey Helps.

I have been anxiously ready to share this video with you since earlier than we started enhancing earlier this 12 months.  I’ve watched this video almost 100 instances as our crew put it collectively, and on every viewing I reminisced fondly over all the experiences I’ve had, the folks I’ve met, the friendships I’ve made…all due to hockey.  I do know the opposite THF coaches really feel the identical means!

Hockey could also be a enjoyable sport, but it surely’s not all enjoyable and video games on a regular basis.  

It takes an amazing period of time, vitality and cash to realize what we have achieved thus far, corresponding to:

• donating tons of of books to colleges in Ladakh with our instructional companion ILSC
• donating hundreds of items of kit to hockey applications round India
• encouraging and supporting ladies hockey in India to the purpose that India fielded their first womens’ nationwide crew in 2016
• organizing an historic sport in Brampton, Ontario for the mens’ nationwide crew to comprehend how rather more they’ll accomplish with exhausting work
• watching many of those gamers change into coaches, referees and leaders of their communities
• advising on new rink development and tools importation/distribution to assist entry to the sport

I take into consideration guys in India like Abdul Hakim (my assistant coach for Staff India for a variety of years), Chamba Tsetan, Tsewang Gyaltson, Rajat Malhotra, Zia Mir and Amit Belwal which have had their lives irrevocably modified by ice hockey, and younger girls like Deachen Dolkar, Stanzin Dolker, Tsewang Chuskit, Kunzes Angmo, Rinchen Dolma and Noor Jahan that love the sport a lot they based the Ladakh Womens’ Ice Hockey Basis to make sure ladies in Ladakh have an equal alternative to excel on the sport, an initiative we’re proud to assist!

The truth is, that with a view to carry on altering lives through hockey, we’d like your assist.  We wish to maintain our momentum rising.  Your assist is important to our continued success.

There are in-need communities in each nook of the globe, and we’re completely positioned to assist them, whether or not or not it’s within the US, Canada, Eire, India, China, Korea, Kenya, Morocco, Chile or Argentina (to call just some).  We are able to even assist some penguins in Antarctica, if given the prospect!

Whether or not or not it’s to move tools, guarantee our coaches are nicely skilled, purchase books to donate to colleges, or just maintain our web site operational, guaranteeing the monetary safety of The Hockey Basis is of the utmost significance, not solely to me, however to everybody that has donated tools, volunteered their time, and most significantly, to the folks we coach and assist!

To this finish, we have arrange a brand new fundraiser through ActionSprout to assist us begin this hockey season sturdy, and as we do, we’ll make sure to share our progress with you!  You may entry it on our HowHockeyHelps web page (the place you may as well see a SlideShare presentation I made in New Brunswick earlier this summer time on How Hockey Helps), in addition to on our Fb web page.

Please think about supporting and assist us change lives and share happiness, one puck at a time!

Adam Sherlip, Government Director, Founder & Head Coach