Wiikwemkoong continues to offer youth hockey programming during pandemic
By Sam Laskaris
WIIKWEMKOONG UNCEDED TERRITORY – Back in late August, it was announced that the Wiikwemkoong Minor Hockey Association would not have any of its clubs participate in the Manitoulin Island league this season.
But that cancellation, which was made for safety reasons due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, does not mean there is no hockey being played in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.
In fact, 119 Wiikwemkoong players have registered for a hockey program being offered through its youth centre. Players have been divided up onto 16 squads in six different age groupings.
Lawrence Enosse, the manager of the Brighter Future program run through the Waasa Naabin Youth Services Centre, said the hockey interest in the community has not waned at all.
“That’s about the usual numbers that we would see [of children registered],” Enosse said.
Community representatives approached Enosse to gauge the feasibility of operating a program shortly after it was announced that the Wiikwemkoong Minor Hockey Association would not be entering any of its squads in the Manitoulin Minor Hockey Association for the 2020-21 season.
“Because of COVID, they decided it was best not to be in the Manitoulin league this year,” Enosse said. “Our community shut down. There was a border lockdown. But we wanted to make sure kids still had programming and recreational activities.”
The hockey programming decided upon consists of a pair of 10-week sessions.
The first session, which began in late October, kicked off with two weeks of power skating sessions led by representatives from the Pro Tech Hockey Academy in Milton.
Instead of traditional 5-on-5 matches, Wiikwemkoong’s hockey programming this season will feature 3-on-3 contests.
Those in the program will also continue their skill development through numerous practices.
Gerard Peltier, a former pro player who is now coaching the Canadore College men’s team, will be joining staff from his hockey school to run some of the practices.
Those in the Wiikwemkoong program will also participate in a tournament around the Christmas holidays.
The second 10-week session will then commence in January.
Enosse said players from other communities on Manitoulin Island were keen to sign up as well.
“We had a lot of interest from outside Wiikwemkoong,” he said. “But we said no because we wanted to keep it safe within our own bubble.”
While they will not be participating against players from other Manitoulin communities as in previous years, Enosse said Wiikwemkoong athletes are not getting left behind.
“We’ve already seen progress from the players,” he said of the first few weeks of programming offered. “And our elite kids have really shown improvement.”
Wiikwemkoong’s elite players in various age groups are also receiving an extra night of training on Sundays.
“We don’t want their skills to regress,” Enosse said.
Enosse added things are different at the Wiikwemkoong rink, commonly referred to as the Thunderdome, this season. But these changes, including various safety protocols in place, are not dampening spirits.
“Everybody does miss regular hockey,” he said. “But they are enjoying the fundamentals. There’s a lot of smiles everywhere.”
There are two teams in the Playground division, which features players that are aged three and four.
The other age groupings are Under-7, Under-9, Under-11, Under-13 and Under-19.
“The feedback from the parents is they’re really happy with the way it’s set up,” Enosse said. “They’re starting to get into it.”
The Under-11 division is the only one that features four teams. The Under-7, Under-19 and Under-13 groupings have three clubs each.
Like the Playground division, the Under-19 category also has two squads.