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Will coach for food

European coaching consultant Tom Hedican explains a drill to the St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Bears hockey team Tuesday at Pete Palangio arena. Photo by Chris Dawson.




European coaching consultant Tom Hedican explains a drill to the St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Bears hockey team Tuesday at Pete Palangio arena. Photo by Chris Dawson.

For Tom Hedican Christmas time is a time to relax and prepare for the second half of the hockey season. But this year there is no time to relax.

The North Bay native, who spent time behind the bench and in management with the North Bay Centennials, is a coaching consultant in Switzerland with professional clubs in Zug and Fribourg and this week he’s been handing out his coaching expertise to any player or coach who will listen, and the cost; a simple non-perishable food item.

Hedican says he got his inspiration to put on these “coaching clinics for food,” from Rock star Bruce Springsteen.

“I’ve seen enough of his concerts where’s he’s talking to people and saying, ‘if you’re not doing something for people in your community that have less than you then you’re doing something wrong,’ and I just thought I was home, I have a break in my schedule and I thought if people were interested I would go out and work with the kids and work with coaches and they want to bring donations to the food bank then that’s something I’m can certainly to do for free,” Hedican said after a coaching clinic he put on for the St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Bears.

After that practice on Tuesday, Hedican had to to put down the back seats of his SUV to fit all the food into his vehicle. With at least two practices booked each day before Christmas chances are good there’s a lot more food to come.

Hedican knows he’s making a difference.

“It’s been phenomenal, I have a new respect for volunteer coaches it’s amazing the job they do for very little recognition or thanks and the kids have been phenomenal too.”



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Chris Dawson

About the Author: Chris Dawson

Chris Dawson has been with BayToday.ca since 2004. He has provided up-to-the-minute sports coverage and has become a key member of the BayToday news team.
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