Hockey and ringette parents are usually in the stands in cold ice rinks cheering loudly for their children. But, on BC Family Day, they joined other Team BC parents and supporters at a cheer breakfast at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown.
“These are our proud moments,” says hockey mom Sue Alain of Victoria, who is in PEI supporting son Colton. “I think for the parents, it’s an immediate connection. You’ve got the common bond of having an athlete in your home.”
“We are proud of everyone who is here,” says Jennifer Harrington of Prince George, whose son Chase is on the male hockey team. “As a sport mom, we definitely know what goes into getting a kid here and all the love and support that you have to wrap around them.”
Ringette parent Eric Murphy (Delta) says the Canada Games is the “biggest it gets” for his daughter Jessica. “For ringette as a sport, this is the Olympics,” he says. “This is our multisport games. It’s a beautiful sport and very competitive.”
“We love the atmosphere here,” says Burnaby’s Alan Ma, who is in PEI to see his daughter Emily compete in ringette. “You see the whole team and whole province come together to cheer for the athletes. It’s so awesome.”
And, its not only parents who made the cross-country trek for Team BC. Laura Hartmann (Lake Cowichan) is at her first Canada Games cheering for her grandson Kaleb in hockey. “We are happy to be here and happy to represent grandparents,” she says. “It’s wonderful. We have connected with lots of grandparents at the venues and have really enjoyed sharing stories about grandchildren and our families. We are pretty excited and on the edge of our seats.”
Team BC holds cheer breakfasts each week of the Games to thank parents and family members of all the sports for their support and to provide an opportunity for them to share their experiences.
- Filed by Sam Corea (@sammy_sez), Team BC Communications Staff
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