Last night the Cougars had their Home Opener at Archie Browning Sports Centre. Once again, they let all Esquimalt Residents in for free. What a great night! They even had some Olympians come and help celebrate! We saw Brian Price (rowing), Kevin Light (rowing), Kyle Hamilton (rowing), Malcolm Howard (rowing), Ravinder Kahlon (field hockey), and Riley McCormick (diving). All six athletes were available in-between intermissions to talk to the fans and give autographs. My kids were thrilled with the entire event and even more thrilled to share it with many kids from the neighbourhood.
My favourite part of the night was seeing my friend Ravi - a two time Field Hockey Olympian. I've had the pleasure of knowing him since he was a teenager. It was a treat to have a visit and catch up on his travels. He is a guy that has given back so much to the community. He has volunteered many hours over the years, including coaching my Div. 1 women's team for a season. It was the year after I had my first child and I was sore, miserable and woefully out of shape. Ravi was always positive, upbeat and encouraging. He is an incredible athlete and an incredible person - I'm so impressed with all he has accomplished!
As usual, the Victoria Cougars put on a great show. They ran into trouble in the last period....but I think we'll see another championship banner hung at ABSC this time next year!
These Cougar games happen because they have a large group of dedicated volunteers. I was honoured to be a volunteer last night. They demonstrate commitment and it shows in the players. Last night, several residents shared their personal stories about how the Cougars attended their special event or helped out with their child's hockey practice. The Cougars are a part of what makes Esquimalt a great place to live. We need to save our arena AND our Cougars!
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