PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – 2011/2012

It is that time of year again to thank all of the Barrie Sharks members and families who generously support us.  At the same time I would like to give a special thank you to the volunteers who make up the Executive Board who give so much of their valuable time to make your hockey season a great experience.

With the continuous idea of Looking to the Future, the BWHA now has an Administrative Assistant working part time out of our new and more accessible office space on Saunders Road.  We expect these changes to greatly enhance your hockey experience and keep girls hockey growing in our community.

I hope you all enjoyed participating in Sharkfest which ran very successfully once again with the help of all the volunteers who made it all possible.  As you all know, all profits earned from this annual tournament are reinvested back into the BWHA to aid development and keep the cost of hockey affordable for all members.

Thank you to all of the sponsors who continue to support girl’s hockey.  It is encouraging to see that so many organizations recognize value in promoting community-based sport and have in turn chosen to support our organization.

We always have obstacles in front of us but we have a great group of people all working together to address them.  Our goal as an executive group is to bring value to the organization.  We are an executive team that will listen and take action.  We will move forward and will treat each of our members with the utmost respect.  Talk to us and let us know how we are doing.  All too often we only hear from people at the end of the year at the AGM; this is too little, too late.  All of us must work together to ensure that open lines of communication are maintained.  Get involved!

As always, a letter about hockey would not be complete without mentioning the fine ladies and gentlemen who teach our kids the game as coaches, the moms and guardians that watch over our children in the dressing rooms, the trainers who keep the players safe on and off the ice, and of course, the team managers who have the unenviable task of keeping teams organized.  Each and every one of these people is a volunteer and, as such are exceptionally special.  Countless hours devoted to enriching the lives of others is a gift that each of our volunteers bestows, all too often without proper thanks or recognition.  Take a moment to say thank you to your team staff; they are among the unsung heroes of our organization.

Enjoy the 2011-2012 hockey season! 

Play hard, have fun and above all practice good sportsmanship.

Best Regards,

Eric Edmondson

President, BWHA