Good Sportsmanship Encouraged At Minor Hockey Levels

As Minor Hockey Week in Canada reaches its peak this weekend (it runs from January 19 through until January 26), the accompanying photo should be a reminder of what this sport is all about - good sportsmanship!

Shawn Stevens, Captain of Nickel Centre Pharmacy Flyers, on the left, and Erik Belanger, Captain of the Valley East Tim Horton’s Rebels, exchange a few friendly words while the rest of their Minor Atom team mates shake hands and wish each other good luck prior to a recent game in the Nickel District Progressive Hockey League.

The 2001-2002 hockey season will be remembered for numerous attempts by organizers to bring the fun back into the game. Several important rule changes have been implemented in order to take away some of the aggressiveness which has crept into the game. In addition, more focus has been placed on the training of coaches and managers and on the development of on-ice officials. A zero-tolerance policy in the areas of hitting from behind, head checking, stick infractions and disrespectful behaviour has helped tame down the activity on the ice.

While there have been isolated incidents of unacceptable behaviour from players, coaches and fans, it appears as if the goals and objectives of the league organizers are being met. League officials are continuing to crack down on abuse of referees and linesmen by players and coaches, and some jurisdictions even go as far as to remove parents from the stands for inappropriate behaviour.

Minor Hockey Week is a time when we can all sit back and take stock of our own personal attitude towards the game. Spend some time at the rink during the next several days and see what is happening with our younger teams. Look at the enthusiasm of players like Shawn and Erik. See if you can remember what it was like when your first child first put on the blades and began playing the game. It is that excitement that we must once again strive for, not only among the very young divisions, but at the bantam, midget and beyond. Hockey is just a game, and we must never forget that. When played in a spirit of sportsmanship and good will, it is the best game in the world.

This year, let’s all celebrate Minor Hockey Week by demonstrating to everyone around us that we really do enjoy the sport and that we can have fun without losing control of our dignity and integrity.

For hockey fans in Valley East and Capreol, you can finish off Minor Hockey Week in style by taking in some of the action during the Valley East Progressive Hockey Associations annual Novice-Atom-PeeWee tournament which begins January 25 and runs through until January 27.

Valley East’s Karen Cowling Recognized As One Of Top Athletes In Canada

Valley East’s Karen Cowling, proudly holds the trophy she worked so hard to get at the Canadian International Marathon held in Toronto last autumn. Once told by a local track coach that she would never get her time below three hours and fifteen minutes as a marathon runner, the 35-year old athlete finished the 42 kilometre race in first place with a time of  two hours, 55 minutes and 59 seconds over the route through the streets of the city. It was her best time ever! A total of 6500 runners from 35 countries participated in the 7^th annual event which raises money for cancer research. Karen follows a rigorous training schedule and competes in a number of marathon events during the course of a year.

As she prepares for another gruelling schedule this spring, we reflect upon her remarkable 2001 season which began a full year ago in the state of  Texas last February. By the month of May she had worked her way to an 11^th place finish in Ottawa and then hit her peak with first place in Massey in July, a 3^rd place finish in Quebec City in August and finally her crowing moment at the Canadian International Marathon in Toronto.

Karen has been running competitively for the past five years and is currently coached by Ron Wallingford of Laurentian University. Wallingford, himself, had a fantastic career as a marathoner, finishing as high as 3^rd in the 1964 Boston Marathon, and has helped Karen with some new techniques which have pushed her into the company of the top 10 to 15 female runners in the country. Since female marathon athletes are in the peak of their career between the ages of 35 and 40, Karen is aiming for a position in the top five some time in the near future. She is only 11 minutes away from the Olympic time requirement of 2 hours 45 minutes and is confident that she can work her way to that level with proper training and coaching.

“At this stage of my career I will have to enter the bigger international races in the country in order to get exposure to the very best runners in the world,” explained Cowling who runs every day, putting in over 100 kilometres a week wearing out running shoes at the rate of one pair a month.

“Everybody has a passion,” the talented athlete claims. “Mine is running. I may spend an hour or so a day running. Other people knit, work out at a fitness club, play squash, play golf, or any number of other things. I run and I love it.”

Her daughter, Brianna and her husband John usually accompany Karen to her races. After the race in Toronto, Brianna and her mother found themselves in an elevator of the King Street Holiday Inn with several other business men in suits and ties. Karen, who had just completed the marathon in the rain, was drenched, tired and looked totally wiped out. Brianna, who obviously understands the accomplishments of her mother, looked at the men and proudly declared, “My mom just won the Toronto International Marathon and this is my mom!”

Karen is aiming to begin her 2002 season in Los Vegas in February, where she will begin what will likely be the biggest year of her career on the road to becoming one of the top ranked female marathoners in Canada.

Karen’s motto is simple: “My health club is the road and my dues are my shoes!”

Saluting The Achievements Of Local Residents
2^nd In The Series

Many residents of Valley East and Capreol have made a significant impact on the Provincial, National and International scene in their respective fields. The Vision Paper wants to bring their stories to our readers. Today, we salute Karen Cowlings, an international marathon runner who is making the rest of the country take notice of her accomplishments. If you know of someone who stands out in their field and who has achieved provincial, national or international fame, please contact us so that we can show our gratitude for what they have done to improve the image of Valley East and Capreol.

Time Is Running Out To Send Us Your Romantic Story

You are quickly running out of time to send us the story about how your met the “Love Of Your Life”. The Valentine’s Day issue of The Vision Paper is saving space to publish a few samples of how “Cupid” has worked in the lives of our readers. This will be our special way of celebrating Valentine’s Day.

When you first met your loved one, was it “Love at first sight?” Or was there something unusual about the encounter? See if you can express your feelings in words and allow us to share the story with our readers. We are sure that there are some very romantic stories in Valley East and Capreol. Don’t worry about the grammar or structure of the story. We will make any necessary editorial changes to your submission in order to make it flow properly.