Winnipeg high school hockey league hosts leadership workshop for team captains
Player seminar at Centro Caboto Centre shares ‘impactful’ leadership habits with 38 team captains.
Leaders are never born, they’re made.
That's the prevailing sentiment behind a Winnipeg high school hockey league workshop aiming to promote strong leadership skills in 38 team captains.
Hosted at the Centro Caboto Centre on Wilkes Avenue on Monday, Oct. 21, a WHSHL player seminar had captains across the league participate in small group discussions regarding what makes a good leader, what defines good character, and ways to instill positive leadership habits every day.
The two-hour event, which saw over 200 people enter the Italian Canadian Centre, also engaged team captains in different leadership scenarios. Captains discussed how they would approach specific situations, ranging from how to maintain a positive environment in the dressing room during a losing streak, to what to do if a teammate is battling mental health or addictions with drugs or alcohol.
“It was actually really impactful for me,” said Drake Vermeulen, captain of the Lord Selkirk Royals. “I wasn’t too sure what to expect going in, but it was definitely worth it.”
Vermeulen, 17, is playing his last year of high school hockey this season as a senior at Lord Selkirk School. He says the leadership workshop helped him adjust to leading his Royals team for the first time.
“I always had an idea of the responsibilities that were expected of me… Leading by example and doing right by the guys — I guess I just didn’t completely know what that looked like,” said Vermeulen.
The discussions about what makes a good leader helped Vermeulen realize checking up on teammates and supporting them away from the game is just as important as leading on the ice or in the locker room.
“Being a good leader means going the extra mile,” Vermeulen said. “Something such as a simple text message on the weekend shows the guys I’m there for them if they need.”
Added pressure
Oak Park Raiders captain Zach Johnson says leading by example is more difficult than he’d originally thought. One of his biggest challenges so far as captain has been learning to accept making mistakes as a leader.
“I think I just have high expectations for myself,” said Johnson. “I just don’t want to let my teammates down.”
Johnson, who was announced as the team’s captain last month, is also the netminder for his Raiders club, joining only a select number of goalies to ever wear the ‘C’ in the WHSHL.
“It’s a really cool feeling, but it also comes with a big responsibility,” Johnson said.
Forgetting to put others' needs before your own as a leader was a major talking point for Johnson with the league’s other captains during the small group discussions that took place.
He says hearing other captains discuss their occasional doubts as a leader helped him realize making mistakes is part of growing as a leader.
“You make mistakes and you try to learn from them and move on,” Johnson said.
Seeking a positive change
Prior to this year’s hockey season, the WHSHL had hosted the captain’s leadership workshop sporadically over a five year period. That was until Kevin Landreville, a WHSHL executive, decided to oversee the entirety of the event.
“Now is the most opportune time to do it,” said Landreville. “No more one-offs — this is going to be an annual event.”
Landreville, who also teaches physical education to grades 6-12 at St. John's-Ravenscourt School and is the head coach of the varsity boys hockey team, says taking over the reins two years ago as event organizer is something he takes a lot of pride in.
“Most people don’t get into the world of coaching or teaching if they don't want to make a positive impact,” said Landreville. “It’s important to help these young men mature into being role models for their teammates, classmates, family, and the greater community.”
Landreville’s family is a significant motivation behind his efforts to help mentor the young men in the WHSHL program. He says this year’s workshop emphasized the same values he teaches his 10 and 12-year-old daughters at home: empathy, courage, and respect.
These three values he believes should be present in every leader, which is why Landreville says he will continue to do this leadership workshop for years to come.
“Every person, especially around this age (adolescence), deserves to be taught how to lead — the right way,” Landreville said. “I’m doing this until I no longer can.”