It may not have been easy, but the first hockey season run in a number of years by the Rankin Inlet Minor Hockey Association (RIMHA) without the community鈥檚 mega-talented rec director was a solid success.

RIMHA board member Gavin Gee coached the U13 age group this past season and said he sees, on average, about 200 kids go in and out of the arena on any given night.

He said you also see road hockey being played throughout the community on a continual basis.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e out there playing road hockey every single night, whether it鈥檚 -40C or a beautiful evening,鈥� said Gee. 鈥淒rive around Rankin and you鈥檒l see road hockey nets everywhere.

鈥淎nd Rankin is home to one of the most successful individuals in the world in regards to indigenous hockey, Jordin Tootoo.

鈥淜ids here just love hockey.鈥�

Gee said he鈥檚 watched kids who could have skated down the wrong path in life stay on the straight and narrow because playing hockey kept them busy and gave them goals in life.

He said over the years, thanks to the help of organized sports in general, he鈥檚 seen many youth develop good habits and choose the right path in life.

鈥淩ankin strongly supports hockey and that helps it to continue growing as a strong community. Two people who have done so much to make it work are Donald and David Clark. They鈥檝e done so much for hockey in this community.

鈥淎nother group are the refs. They make the games fair, which is so important because, as we all know, you put a bunch of kids on the ice with no rules and you鈥檙e not going to get the results you want.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing odd about that. It鈥檚 normal kid behaviour.鈥�

Gee said, overall, the past minor-hockey season went well in Rankin.

He said the community had some huge skates to fill when recreation director David Clark went away to attend a sports coaching and management program at a Finnish university.

鈥淲e鈥檒l never totally fill those skates, because we don鈥檛 have what David brings to the table in terms of experience and know how. But that doesn鈥檛 mean we can鈥檛 make it happen.

鈥淲e have to do it because of his legacy and what he鈥檚 accomplishing in his life right now.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 let die what we, as hockey parents, see as such a wonderful thing because David had to step aside for a little while. We all have to step-up and get it done. And, hopefully, we鈥檒l get better year after year. In lots of ways, that was a real rallying call this season.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a matter of whether you want to or not. We have to make this work because, when it boils down to why, it鈥檚 all about the kids. It鈥檚 about helping the younger generation keep out of trouble, stay

involved in something positive and create goals in life.鈥�

Gee said there鈥檚 a lot of parents in Rankin who need to be thanked for their efforts in organizing, fundraising and supporting hockey in Rankin, and a big thank you is owed to A.J. Curley, Hannah Siksik and Craig Collier for making the past year work.

He said running a successful hockey program is a total team effort, on and off the ice.

鈥淭hey say it takes a whole community to raise a child, so I would say it takes a whole community to raise every child. And, putting the time in to run hockey, or any organized sport, is part of that.

鈥淥ur tournaments went OK this past season, and each one went over well with the community, but there鈥檚 room for adjustment. With any event, you have to hold yourself accountable. For U9 to U18, we housed people from all over the Kivalliq and approximately 240 to 260 players at each tournament.

鈥淭hat good for not just Rankin, but the whole Kivalliq area. Scheduling is always tough because we have a tournament right after Christmas and then it鈥檚 weekend, after weekend, after weekend, after that.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 tough because people do get tired, so that鈥檚 one aspect where there is a little room for adjustment. But, we got through it and, most importantly, the kids got to play and really enjoy themselves. And that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 all about.鈥�