Virden Breakfast Club has completed its sixth season this spring. Kids ages 6 to 18 years have an opportunity to improve their hockey skills and enjoy breakfast - all before school.
Brock Andrew is currently the President of the Breakfast Club and one of the founders.
“It’s not just for hockey players, but it is a sport program,” he explains. “Kids from all walks - Prairie West [Recreation] rec hockey, fun skaters - we have quite a number of kids before Christmas.”
About 25 kids initially signed up to skate early in the mornings. The number dwindles as winter wears on, but that doesn’t worry the organizers.
“The kids are the ones who get the parents to come out,” Andrew remarks. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, from Thanksgiving to Spring Break, with just a helmet and skates, gloves and sticks, young skaters enjoy “an hour of recreation, an hour of exercise with a puck and stick on the ice.”
They also learn new drills. “And they love the meal,” says the President. “Then they’re wide awake and ready to go to school.”
The Breakfast Program was the brainchild of Master Mentor for Hockey Manitoba Coaches, Bob Caldwell, of Deloraine. He designed the program and got other coaches involved.
Andrew credits Randy Kalynuck whose son Wyatt was a Peewee at the time, for introducing a number of other local coaches and sponsors such as Brad Lamb, to the idea.
“It’s a fantastic program,” states Andrew. The program is all based on sponsorship. “We go out every year for sponsors – there’s no cost to parents or kids.”
Caldwell has made available three DVDs of drills – almost 50 sessions. Andrew organizes the material and schedules the Virden coaches.
“We’ve been able to get Troy Leslie involved. He’s been coming and doing the Thursday sessions. He’s a wealth of knowledge, a teacher at heart.”
Over the years many young skaters have benefited from this 50-minute skate.
The program is entirely volunteer based. The families involved serve the food which is usually toast, cereal and fruit juice. Businesses throughout the community sponsor the costs.The Andrew family has two children in the program. “My boys love it. There’s no pushing them at all. They get me up.”
