Cougars, Rutland Park group team up for free skating lessons
Demands for skating lessons are increasing around Mount Royal University, but Cougar Hockey is here to help.
Cougar Hockey and the Rutland Park Community Association have partnered to deliver free lessons to the people in the surrounding area of the campus.
The collaboration between Cougar Athletics and the Rutland Park was initiated by Steve Dubois, the community association’s director at large.
Dubois reached out to Mount Royal due to the sheer size of requests he had about providing skating lessons in the community.
“I thought it would be a good idea to contact MRU and see if their hockey programs would be interested to give the kids skating lessons and play with them,” he said.
MRU director of men’s hockey operations, Nathan Higgins, was the first point of contact Dubois reached out to.
“We learned that the community would really appreciate one-hour skating lessons on their rink this year and from that there could be future hockey lessons possible next season,” said Higgins.
This is the first year Cougar Hockey is providing this sort of volunteering.
Cougar Hockey already enjoys a warm relationship with neighbouring Rutland Park.
Last fall, Cougars men’s hockey donated used practice jerseys to the community and they were well received.
Higgins also invited the community, on behalf of Cougar Hockey, to one of the more heavily attended home games of the season — the MRU Remembers game held annually in appreciation of the Canadian military in November.
About a few dozen or so fans from the community attended the game.
“From Cougar Hockey’s perspective, we want to be visible and relevant in southwest Calgary and the players are keen to give their time to the community,” said Higgins. “The community members have been excited to rub shoulders with the MRU varsity student athletes and develop hockey skills on their outdoor recreational rink.”
Fourth-year men’s hockey player Jamal Watson is one of the dozen or so athletes who came out during all three skating lesson sessions.
“It’s special that we can make a connection with our neighbouring community that are so close to home and help grow the brand of Cougar Hockey,” he said. “Helping kids skate and seeing the joy on their face always just brings out the best in everyone and we’re glad the Rutland Community loves having us out.”
The first of three outings was a hit in Rutland Park with a little more than 40 people showing up to get lessons from both men’s and women’s MRU hockey players. The final session of the season was held on Monday night.
Dubois was pleasantly surprised with the immediate feedback he got from the community.
“We started to think we need more players involved,” he said.
“I wanted to have half of the players be from the women’s team for the younger girls to look up to a women’s hockey player, someone who can have a mentor to look up to and see examples of a girl who can skate and play hockey.”
The Rutland Park Community Association is in the process of using government funding to expand its building adjacent to the ice rink by adding a heated change room, concession and garage for equipment.