“Hockey is something I care a lot about. It has given me everything I wanted and more,’ says the founder of Hockey 4 Youth
Moezine Hasham can still remember the neighbor who gave him his first hockey gear when he was only six years old.
This kind act got him interested in hockey and led him to start the Hockey 4 Youth Foundation, which helps newcomers to Canada learn how to play the game.
“Hockey is something I care a lot about. It gave me everything I wanted and more “he said.
“My happy place is being on the ice with these girls and showing them that this is a game they can play for the rest of their lives.”
When Hasham’s parents were forced to leave Uganda in 1972, they went to live in Canada. After five years, he was born.
He went on to play hockey in college before getting a job in corporate affairs, so he knows the problems immigrants face when they want to play hockey.
“When you’re a teenager and you’ve just arrived to Canada and you’re a newcomer, you have a lot of challenges in front of you,” Hasham said.
“You want to be accepted, you want to make friends, and maybe you want to play sports. You can’t play hockey because it’s too expensive for you to do so.”
Hasham said that one season of minor hockey can cost up to $4,000. This is a big reason why 71% of newcomers say they want to play hockey, but only 1% can actually do it, according to data from the Institute of Canadian Citizenship.
He said that his group works in four cities: Hamilton, Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto. By the fall, they plan to add Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver.
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“Rewarding” to share what you kno
Hockey 4 Youth works with high schools to find students who are interested in the program. One of the leaders is Ridgemont High School teacher and hockey player Melissa Holterman.
She helps a group of high school girls learn how to play a sport by showing them the basics.
Holterman said, “I wanted to show the game to girls who might not have had a chance to play before and just get them out here to try.”
“It’s been wonderful. It’s been way more fun and rewarding than I could have ever thought.”
Some of the girls said they weren’t looking for the chance, but they wanted to try something new and take a chance.
Bahja Jama said, “It’s a sport I never thought I’d do in my life because I’ve always been so scared, but I figured, what the heck, I might as well try it.”
Rouba El Khatib, who learned to roller skate in Lebanon and then used what she learned, said she sees the benefits of playing ice hockey.
El Khatib said, “When I’m on the rink, I forget about anything that’s bothering me outside of it, and I just play with spirit, have a lot of fun, and score some goals.”
“Every time I’m on the ice, it feels different, and I have so much fun playing.”