“We want to help encourage the sport of field hockey in Mexico,” says Team Canada’s Brenden Bissett. “We want to give as many kids as possible the chance to try our sport.“
On Sunday, the Canadian Men’s Junior National Team presented a donation of field hockey equipment to a local Mexican club. The club will then use the sticks, bags, shin guards and turf shoes to introduce the sport to local schools in need. The Junior Men set out to collect the equipment last month – gathering new and used equipment from the Canadian field hockey community. Assistant Coach Aaron Guest, Manager Alvin Bissett and several athletes helped organize a similar effort over two years ago when the U17 Squad competed at the Pan American Youth Championship in Hermosillo. This year’s Pan American Junior Championship is in Guadalajara, Mexico – so the team jumped at the chance to once again promote hockey.
In addition to the formal presentation of the equipment, the Junior Men also got on the pitch to play with some of the young Mexican athletes.
“It’s all about the kids,” says Stephen Bissett. “It’s about giving them as much opportunity as they can get.”
The story of Canada’s generosity has spread across the international field hockey community and is featured on the PAHF and FIH websites.