Young men who play for the Powell River Kings are part of a good hockey team this season. However, according to head coach Kent Lewis, playing for the Kings is also about being a good person.
“It’s about giving back,” said Lewis. “It’s about life skills. These are things you’re going to take with you after hockey. Not many of these guys, if any, are going to make any money in this game. The percentages are always very low, so learn some life skills and learn how to deal with people; that’s what’s going to take them through life.”
Two rookies on the team, forwards Ben Berard and Josh Coblenz, have expectations about their hockey careers that Lewis talks about.
“You have to be realistic,” said Coblenz. “I’m focusing on getting a good school, getting an education and going into a career. You obviously want to go to the National Hockey League, that’s why you’re playing, but you also realize that there’s more to life than just hockey.”
Right now, Coblenz said his life is all about hockey. The 18-year-old from Campbell River graduated from high school last year and is now preparing to write his scholastic aptitude test for universities in the United States, in the hopes of landing a scholarship.
A grade 12 student at Brooks Secondary School, Berard said it is very different from his previous school in Shawnigan Lake, where he attended the largest private boarding school on Vancouver Island. According to his teachers at Brooks, Berard is a good student, which is one of the qualities the Kings look for when they’re recruiting, said Lewis.
“We want to bring in kids who have goals; we want kids who want to be good athletes and good students,” he said.
The Kings organization gives players all the support it can, beginning with the billets who they stay with. All are well taken care of by homestay families.
“It’s awesome, you’re treated like royalty,” said Coblenz. “Whatever you need, they have. You’re spoiled a lot.”
As great as it is being a King in Powell River, especially when the team is winning, players also give a lot back to the community, because the team itself is involved and invested in shaping these young men to become good citizens.
“The Kings keep us busy with volunteering,” said Coblenz. “There are a lot of great programs.”
Every Thursday, the team splits off into small groups and visits elementary schools to participate in the Read Program with kindergarten to grade five students, said Nadine Porchetta, Kings marketing and community relations manager and also Berard’s billet. The program is in its 11th year.
Also, every Wednesday, Kings players join a youth group at Oceanview Education Centre, which has a special program offered by Powell River Children, Youth and Family Services Society.
“The group comes, hangs out and we play sports, like floor hockey and basketball,” said Berard. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Porchetta said the players also help out with Henderson Elementary School’s after-school program, do work with Christmas Cheer and help out at Church of the Assumption’s soup kitchen every Friday, even on game days.
Coblenz is the fourth billet Nancy Howling’s family has hosted.
“Our first billet, Jarryd Leung, comes back from Wilfred Laurier University and spends part of his Christmas with us and part of his Christmas with his family,” she said. “We brought Jarryd with us on our family vacation to Disneyland. He’s really become our boys’ older brother.”
Families who billet Kings players all describe it as “an amazing experience,” according to Porchetta, and the Kings are always looking for host families.
“Each player has brought different assets to our family of four,” said Porchetta. “This year with my older son playing hockey in Delta, [Berard] has stepped up as big brother to my youngest son, Matteo, and he is a great addition to our family and a great role model.”
That is the culture Lewis and the organization, from staff, billets, fans, executive and players, have created with the Kings.
“These are going to be successful men,” said Lewis. “They’re students, they’re athletes, but they’re also learning to deal with all sorts of things in a hockey season.”
