Lane Moore is a school principal by profession, but his passion lies not only within the classroom, but also out on the ice where he spurs young hockey players on to be the best they can be — in and out of uniform.
Moore, the principal of Bentley School, set up the Junior Golden Bears last year, a spring hockey club in Edmonton that consists of eight teams and is affiliated with the University of Alberta Golden Bears hockey team.
This summer, Moore will travel with the 2002 gold team of the Bears and their families to Shanghai, China for the Triple A International Shanghai Hockey Tournament.
The group, consisting of 120 people, is to leave July 29 and return Aug. 10.
Moore, his wife, Kathleen, and sons Easton and Cooper, and daughter Lexi will leave a week earlier to help at a hockey camp in Xiamen, near Hong Kong.
Moore said the trip will be a wonderful experience for the players and their families.
Ten-year-old Easton, who travelled to Beijing for hockey camps last year, is looking forward to returning to China.
He recalled the trip when he visited the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. He also remembered playing hockey at a rink which was set up on the fourth floor of a shopping mall.
“It was very foggy because the weather was so humid and hot.”
He enjoyed playing against the Chinese and made lots of friends while on the trip. However, he said the players seemed to keep the puck to themselves, a practice frowned upon by his dad, who happens to be the head coach of his spring hockey team.
“A passed puck travels faster than when you skate with it,” he said.
When Easton is not playing hockey for the Bears, he plays for the Rimbey Renegades atoms.
Rylan Lefebvre, another 10-year-old who plays for the 2002 Gold team of the Golden Bears and lives near Ponoka, will also travel to Shanghai with his parents, Shane and Francine, and his seven-year-old sister, Tegan, for the tournament.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “I will get to see all kinds of different things. But, I’m kind of nervous, too. This is my first time on a plane.”
The young hockey player is not nervous about playing hockey in Shanghai, however. “I will just go out and do my best.”
Mr. Lefebre said his family is looking forward to the trip. “It will be a great life experience; both culturally and educationally.”
Lefebre said his son plays for the Ponoka Stampeders atom A team in the winter and for the Golden Bears during April, May and June.
“He was asked to try out for the team last year. It’s been a good experience. He’s made tons of friends and has really enjoyed it.”
Moore, who volunteers his time as president of the Junior Golden Bears Spring Club and head coach of the gold 2002 and gold 2005 teams, said the not for profit club focuses on player development.
“Our focus in on youth development, but we still want to put kids in competition at their level in order to compete in games so they can continue to enhance their development.”
Helping young players become the best they can be and instilling in them a love of the game is important to Moore.
“I love hockey. I grew up playing hockey.”