New district partnership provides hockey opportunities to Surrey students

For many of the Princess Margaret Secondary students, the Hockey 4 Youth launch was their first on-ice experience. (Photo: Surrey Schools)It’s not every day that you get to share an ice rink with a local hockey legend, especially when it’s your first time ever on the ice, but for a group of girls from Princess Margaret Secondary, that became a reality earlier this week.

Lacing up the skates once more, former Canuck Darcy Rota was on hand Nov. 20 to help introduce the sport he loves to a new generation of students at the North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex.

The event was the Surrey launch of Hockey 4 Youth, a Canada-wide program that aims to make hockey accessible to all.

Made possible thanks to a partnership between Surrey Schools, the Hockey 4 Youth Foundation, the City of Surrey, Surrey RCMP and the Canucks for Kids Fund, the program provides equipment, transport, ice time and professional training for those who may otherwise face barriers in accessing the sport.

“This is just fantastic for young ladies to learn the game of hockey, to have the chance to play,” said Rota, who sits on the board for the Canucks for Kids Fund. “On behalf of the Canucks and the Canucks Kids Foundation, it’s an honour to be here and help continue the growth of hockey.”Former Canuck Darcy Rota (centre) welcomes students to the ice.

For the Surrey iteration of the program, girls from diverse backgrounds were selected to take part, many of whom have had little-to-no experience with hockey. With participants hailing from countries like India, Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan and Liberia, the program will serve as an introduction to Canada’s national pastime for most.

“Right now, what we’re seeing is that one-third of girls will drop out of sports in their teenage years,” said Hockey 4 Youth founder Moezine Hasham. “When you think about newcomer girls or girls of diverse backgrounds, they might not have had any experience in sport at all, so it’s really important that we provide these opportunities to them.”

For Grade 11 student Aya Mohammad, the chance to get on the ice was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

“I’ve watched a bit of hockey, and I joined up because I want to learn how to skate and stop,” she said. “I want to learn how to skate fast and learn more about the sport with my friends. It’s something new and I’m excited to try it out.”

The launch of Hockey 4 Youth’s Surrey program also marks the B.C. debut for the Ontario-based charity, but according to Hasham, it’s more of a homecoming.

“Being a B.C boy myself, now standing here next to Darcy Rota, who I would have seen play as a young kid and growing up here to refugee parents, this is truly an honour for me on a personal level,” he said. “I started this foundation in Toronto, but the goal was always to get back here to give back to the community and it’s really come full circle thanks to all of these incredible partners.”

While the current program is set to run weekly until April, including a skate session at Rogers Arena later in December, Hasham is already looking at providing more opportunities for students in Surrey and beyond.

“We want to bring this sport to as many people as we can, and this is just the first of many programs.”