Announcing the Winners 2019

The stories in sport are always stories that touch the heart. HockeyShot and FlipGive have seen first hand the world of difference that the financial support provides for the recipients families, and we are proud to be able to be a positive chapter.

FlipGive and HockeyShot will teamed up for the 2019 Hockey season to help deserving players get in the game - because hockey participation should be based on ability to play, not pay.

For each of us, and these families, hockey is more than just a sport; it’s a part of our lives and it’s what brings many of us together.

We are thrilled to have helped these teams and players hit the ice last year. For us, the grant is our way to make a small difference in the hockey community, but a huge difference in the lives of under-resourced players and teams.

Nathanael R., 13, Mermaid, PEI

Right before his eighth birthday, Nathanael was adopted from Ethiopia. Three days after arriving in Canada and having never seen ice before, he was on his first pair of skates. A year later, he started playing hockey, committed to catch up with the other kids who had played hockey for years before him by practicing in the basement. Nathanael’s family supports 4 children in hockey and this grant will help giving Nathanael the ability to cover his team fees for the upcoming season and get involved in some higher level training to keep progressing in his skill level.

Phenex H., 13, Gainesville, FL

Phenex was having a family meeting to discuss a family move 3,000 miles away. The first thing that came out of his mouth was “Can I still play hockey?”. “I could never take that away from him,” said his mother, Kristy Schepker. As a single parent household, the cost involved in AA or AAA is simply out of reach – due to the extra travel, including flights. Where Kristy’s commitment really shines is the two hours each way she drives to get Phenex to practice.

Playing at the A level means Phenex gets a lot of ‘bonus friends’, since he doesn’t go to the same school as his teammates.

Joe D., 16, Bettendorf, IA

After his father was diagnosed with brain cancer, Joe felt like he needed to escape his family situation and found home on the rink. It almost felt meant to be but it also came along with expensive fees, more than what the family could handle due to their massive medical expenses. As a result, the family can’t fund him to join the team he wants but he will be joining a non competitive house league team and this grant will allow him to get the new ice hockey goalie equipment he needs to play. His love for the sport always pushes him to dream bigger, and he wants to join his local travel team to be part of a true hockey family.  

Kyle H., 14, Kirkland, QE

When Kyle’s brother, Jeremy, nominated him for the Get in the Game Hockey grant, he talked about how hockey is a great way for the two brothers to bond. Jeremy has witnessed how hockey has transformed Kyle into a disciplined, dedicated and confident individual. It changed Kyle’s life so much that hem now gives back by selflessly training younger goaltenders in his spare time, hoping it will be as much valuable as it was to him. Jeremy also saw the other side of the equation, his mom is a single parent who takes care of all the costs on her own, finding side jobs and switching accomodations in order to keep supporting Kyle in the pursuit of his dream.

Thompson K., 12, Topeka, KS

When Thompson first started playing, it quickly became clear to his coaches, teammates and hockey parents that he is a natural at hockey. Since last year and after a team switch, his Mom travels an hour away to Kansas City so he could keep playing the game he loves so much. Krista (Thompson’s mom) is a single mom of three young children, have struggled financially to afford all the costs on her own. Added to all the transportation fees, hockey fees keep increasing and Thompson is planning to try out for Select this year. “It is a struggle but a struggle that is worth it, to see my son out on the ice and the pure joy it brings him. He has not had an easy life and hockey is something that is his and he has worked hard for it and his dedication continues to pay off.” said Krista. Thompson dreams of being in the NHL, and with his proven talent. determination, commitment and passion, we can’t wait to see it happen.

Rowan T., 11, Fenelon Falls, ON

After miraculously surviving a tragic train accident, Rowan’s dad was hospitalized and was unable to keep working. The accident was life changing for the family, extremely worried about his father, Rowan was ready to give up the sport he loves so much to devote his time to help take care of his dad. Leader at the AAA level, Rossie, Rowan’s mom, was overwhelmed with pride and determined to make all the efforts possible in order for him to keep playing. This grant helps give him the ability to continue with this group without feeling like it will be a stress to his family for him to play and allows him to continue to play at a challenging level. 

Lily S., 10, Eagle Lake, MN

​Lily started hockey a little later than most. It has always been hard for her to feel special in something because she has two younger brothers with Autism. However, falling in love with hockey helped her to become confident in her self-worth and one of her team’s most valuable players. Due to the many medical expenses that the team has to cover and limited household income despite taking multiple jobs, it is hard for the family to afford certain aspects of hockey, like hotels, meals, gear and more. Lily’s dream is to keep playing through highschool and college, at her young age she already plans to join the University of North Dakota and hopes they will have a girls hockey league again by the time she is that age because that is where she wants to play!

Jaxon J., 13, Everett, WA

At the age of 9, Jaxon spent a big part of his year stuck in pain, often unable to walk. He was then diagnosed with Psoriatic arthritis. Hockey has always been part of the family and after a few failed attempts to train, he decided to take the matter into his own hands to get ready for tryouts.  Tryouts came for his local 12u A1 team and to his family’s surprise he was selected for the 2018-2019 team after only being in the ice for maybe 7 months. That season Jaxon was awarded 3 awards for MVP, most improved, and even a hat trick award. However, in order to keep growing and getting picked up in AAA/elite teams, he needed more experience in the tryout process, so the family decided to make a weekend trip to travel 2.5 hours away to tryout for a tier 1 development team on the other side of the mountain pass. They never expected for that team to offer a spot on their 2019-2020 team, but they did and Jaxon and his family travel to every weekend for practice across the pass which the grant will help support. Hockey brought him out of the depression he was experiencing before the diagnosis and helped him moving forward with a dream to pursue.

Ramir J., 10, Athlantic Highlands, NJ

Ramir’s hockey journey is truly a journey like no other. Having to take care of Ramir on her own, his mom, Lynne, felt like she needed to get him into a sport that would teach him will teach him dedication, responsibility and teamwork. At the age of four, hockey was an evidence and and ever since it has been “eat, sleep, breathe hockey”. Lynne works overtime in addition to using her entire income tax refund to support Ramir’s hockey costs, every year it becomes harder to keep up, especially with the travel and tournament costs. As he continues to persevere in the sport, he knows he wants to continue his hockey career through high school and even college.

Logan B., 13, Arlington, TX

It’s sometimes really hard to see all the sacrifices your parents make to keep you in the game. At 13, Logan has turned down travelling teams and rewears old equipment because he knows how hard it gets for his single mom to afford his hockey expenses. He knows how lucky he is to be playing (his older brother can’t because it would be too many costs to handle) and doesn’t hesitate to help support his teammates and help coaches. The grant will help cover his new season and get the new equipment that he needs and deserves.

2008 Kensington Valley Renegades, South Lyon, MI 

Seeing a team progressing, developing and support each other is undoubtedly one the highlights of a coach’s life. This team has gone through a transformation over the last several years, from timid Mites to confident and driven Peewees, which is a direct result of having this hockey program where kids can learn and build confidence.The grant would make it possible for the team to fund basic equipment and on/off ice training equipment/material that will be used over the next several seasons to continue developing the kids’ skills. The team’s fundraising efforts go toward covering the ice bill, and without the grant the team would have to continue using the same equipment they have used for years.

Butler Golden Tornado Hockey Association, Butler, PA

Hockey can do many great things, one of them being the formation of a family. This team has brought together kids, it keeps them out of trouble and gives them a sense of belonging. Butler Hockey’s mission is to support the kids who want to play hockey regardless of their socio-economic level. This year the number of kids playing Butler Hockey are low, making it hard to cover ice and organization fees. Budget is harder to fund every year, the team has tried partnering with local businesses but the competition is high. They are thinking about organizing community fundraisers in order to avoid to involve the parents as they are already spending important amounts of money for their kids to play. The team is also considering offering financial assistance to players who cannot afford to play, but sadly there are not enough funds to do that as an organization this year. 

Tawas Braves Varsity High School Hockey Team, Tawas City, MI 

Many things made this team stand out from all the teams that applied. It’s their very first inaugural year for High School Hockey, they are a very small tight knit community and since they are located in a rural area they are classified as an independent team who competes with much larger schools and teams. We admire the fact that they have worked hard to put Tawas Hockey on the map. The grant would help the team fund uniforms, ice time and fund scholarships and finance tournaments for kids that can not afford to play. When it comes to financing the hockey expenses, the Twas Hockey are relying on the generous donations from the community and the team itself without counting on the High School to help cover the costs. They also fundraise all year round in order to keep everyone in the game.
 

Roborecki Roadrunners, Saskatoon

This volunteer run team gives a chance to inner city kids that come from poorer families a chance to play hockey. By the end of the season, the players build long-lasting friendships and a newfound love for the game of hockey. Think about playing with 20 year old jerseys, this team does it! This team has no sponsors and the only funding incoming comes from the coaches. As a result, the grant would help fund some much-needed new uniforms.