Press release by Alfie Lau, Free Lance

Fresh off U16 and U18 gold medals at the 2008 World’s in Slovakia, the Canadian Ball Hockey Association recently finalized their respective management teams for the Junior Team Canada program competing in Austria in 2010.

Steve Dockerty from Beeton, Ont. will be making his second appearance as a member of the management team with Ball Hockey Canada. Dockerty was Canada’s general manager at the inaugural U16 and U18 events in 2008 which both captured gold.

“My job is to make sure we have an integrated program so that the people who are involved can progress and the players that are involved can continue moving up,” said Dockerty. “We want to emphasize the pride in wearing the Team Canada uniform and the fact that we’re building a team and a program that represents the country proudly.”

As Dockerty took on the responsibilities of putting together a high level program for the U16 and U18 teams over the last two years, he decided to have a partnered management team put in place for 2010.

Gary Slavin from Maple Ridge, B.C. will be making his second appearance as a member of the management team with Ball Hockey Canada. Slavin was an assistant coach with the U18 team that won gold in 2008. He will work with Dockerty and serve as an assistant General Manager with the U16 and U18 teams.

“I originally applied and was looking forward at the chance of becoming Head Coach for the U16, but when Steve offered me this position, there was no way I could turn it down,” said Slavin. “I really got to know Steve during the World’s, he is a very organized yet open individual and I feel that in the short time we have worked with each other, we both have the same goals and understand each other very well.” With the experience of the 2008 World’s and over twenty years of ball hockey experience, Slavin was asked what is it going to take to defend the U16 & U20 gold in 2010?

“We put a high value on strength and speed,” said Slavin. “I found the refereeing was quite different than here in Canada, body work and ball battles were a huge part of the game for the Slovak’s and Czech’s, we know we have the hockey skills to out play them, but speed to the ball and strength on checking will be something we need to focus on.” Added Slavin. “To achieve this though the combination of speed, skill and strength will have to partner with respect, sportsmanship and smarts as we look for the right players for this program.” “We believe in putting the best team together, regardless of what part of Canada they’re coming from as long as they can bring these attributes,” said Slavin.
Dockerty and Slavin worked together in 2008 with the U18 team and they have a very good understanding and scouting background on how to get the U16 and U18 teams back to the top of the podium.

“Gary’s got some great organizational skills and he has an eye for talent,” said Dockerty. “And his eye for talent has no regional glasses. He’s looking for the best players, whether they come from his own association, from Ontario or from Edmonton. He’s looking for the best players for our program, period.” Perhaps one of the toughest jobs belongs to Delta, BC resident Liza Vendrasco-Aere, the fundraising co-ordinator and parent liaison. She gained experience last year as the parent liaison with the victorious U16 & U18 squads in Slovakia.

“My job is to assist the general managers with being the one point of contact for the players and parents,” said Vendrasco-Aere. “The coaches manage on the floor and my job is to take care of the off-floor situations between the players and the traveling family members.” Vendrasco-Aere will be making sure the players have raised enough money and once on the road, represent themselves and their country with pride. “It’s going to cost between $3,500 and $4,500 per player in travel costs for two weeks in Austria,” she said. “Players have to raise that money and we do our best to help them do that.”

Vendrasco-Aere also will be working hard to get more companies sponsoring the team and the program, not an easy task in this tough economic climate. “We have had companies come on board which will give us a donation for each customer who tells them they saw our ball hockey ad/website. … And I’m working with other sponsors who see the value of working with us.”

On a smaller local level, Vendrasco-Aere also organizes bottle drives and pub nights to help raise money. Last year’s pub night in White Rock, B.C. netted several thousand dollars.
“I’m doing this for the kids,” she said. “If there’s one kid who gets an opportunity to represent his country, that’s an experience I want to help with. A kid shouldn’t lose the opportunity to represent his country because of money.”

If Vendrasco-Aere does her job well, the on-floor product that Dockerty and Slavin put together will have no excuses for not putting their best feet forward. Dockerty said Ontario has been the traditional hotbed of ball hockey talent, but as other parts of the country, most notably British Columbia and Alberta, get better, it was important to have the national squads reflect that growing talent.

“Certainly there were regional biases in the past but we’re changing that,” he said. “We want the best players on the teams, regardless of where they’re coming from.

“In 2007, we had Norm Spitzer (of Edmonton Minor Ball Hockey) scouting the Western regionals and he told us how many great players are playing there.” In other parts of the country, growth is slower, as in Quebec, they’re looking for parents and volunteers to run a junior program and in the Maritimes, the junior programs have just started up.

“I think once we raise the visibility of the national program, more people will want to volunteer their time,” said Dockerty. “How it usually starts out is you have a father and a son who want to put a team together. Once they get a team, they want to play other teams and that’s how a league and an association starts up.” Slavin, whose local involvement is with the Ridge Meadows Minor Ball Hockey Association as a coach and past president, said he would like to see a strong emphasis on the defensive end, which means strong goaltending, a tough defence and speedy back checkers from the forward lines.

Building the two squads involves scouting three major tournaments, the Westerns, the Easterns and the Junior Nationals. Slavin will be in charge of the western scouting, while Dockerty will take care of the east. From those events, they will combine at the Junior Nationals where Dockerty and Slavin will get a good idea of which players would look good on their squads and make final decisions.

“I was part of the B.C. U17 team (as Manager and Assisant Coach) at the last two Nationals where we took home silver both times,” said Slavin, who added that scouting these other tournaments in Halifax and Burnaby have opened his eyes to the amount of talent all across the country. Domenic Di Gironimo, CBHA President, also announced the coaches who will be going to Austria.

The U20 staff will include Doug Shaw from Belleville, Ont.  and Jim Armstrong from Vernon, B.C. who will be managed by Mauro Cugini. Dockerty and Slavin’s bench bosses for the U18 team will have Edmonton’s Ian Poulsen and Greg St. Amant from Penetanguishene, Ont. leading the way and Carlo Carlucci from Tottenham, Ont. and Ian Moores from Bay Roberts, NL will lead the U16 squads.

For Jim Armstrong, assistant coach with the U20 team, winning is the only option after helping lead the team to gold in St. John’s in 2008. “Winning at home wasn’t easy but defending the title will be even harder,” said the Vernon, B.C. native who has been involved in the sport since 1983. “Playing in Austria means we have to deal with a time change, different sleeping quarters and even something like making sure the kids always get a nutritious meal.” Armstrong said part of his job is to take away as many distractions from the players so that their sole focus is on the floor. “I think my strengths are as a communicator, someone who can talk to the players and find out what makes them tick,” he said. “My job it to figure out which guys need a pat on the back and which need a bit more encouragement,” Armstrong said. “I have to find out what makes them tick.” Once Armstrong has that knowledge, he can go about molding a championship team, one built on speed, skill and finesse. “The thing about ball hockey is you won’t have much trouble finding skill but the guys you want will have that hustle and will to go into the corners as well,” he said. “We have to do our homework so that we can find those types of players.”

Armstrong expects the U20 team to feature several players who cut their winter teeth playing major junior hockey. “The two things (major junior players) bring to the table that will really help the team are one, their competitive nature and two, their hockey sense. “When you play major junior, the level of competition is very high and they bring that to ball hockey. And you can’t teach hockey sense. Ball hockey is different in that you have to always be in motion, there’s no such thing as gliding and you can buy yourself some more time if you have that hockey sense.” Armstrong and Slavin know that the summer will be busy scouting, including travelling to scout the Westerns in Calgary in July and the Junior Nationals, in Edmonton, the following month.

“Looking at the top players, we have no preconceived notions about who will make the team,” Armstrong said. “If you have the ability and you show us something, you’ll have as good a chance as anybody. I’m super-excited about the challenges and I’m looking forward to Austria and trying to bring back gold for Canada.” Dockerty is also quick with an answer when asked what he hopes his teams will be remembered for when they are in Austria. “Pride in the uniform, the desire to be the hardest working team with the most impeccable sportsmanship, that’s the standard we’re looking for,” said Dockerty. “We want the kids to know they’re representing themselves and their country.”

Slavin agreed: “We want to put them in the best situation to succeed and hopefully they can continue to build on it, either by continuing on with the national programs or mentoring the younger kids who are also coming up through the system.” “We’re trying to build a national program and increase participation in ball hockey,” said Slavin. “You have to remember that ball hockey is a recreational sport, and with that, these trips overseas for many of these kids are a once-in a lifetime opportunity not only to represent their country but to see another part of the world.” “To offer these kids the chance to see another part of the world that most likely will never become a family vacation destination when they’re adults, is something they can look back and see what this sport gave them as youths,” added Slavin.

People who want to help with sponsorship can contact Liza Vendrasco-Aere via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .