Good Fortune: Meeting Bob Hartley and Supporting a Great Cause

 

 

From a long and disappointing absence (due to no NHL games), this author and all-around nice guy (right?) emerges from parenting and work stress to have the good fortune of supporting a great cause by being the successful bidder on the Kidsport Calgary breakfast with Bob Hartley. And, yes I do mean THAT Bob Hartley (Calgary Flames coach) and not comedian Bob Newhart or someone else with a similar name (although Bob Newhart WAS funny at times so might have been fun).

Anyways, I was lucky enough to put in a last minute bid on the breakfast for 3 friends and I to sit with Mr. Hartley at a table at the Kidsport Calgary Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on November 16.  So what’s so exciting about that?

Well, for starters I am a big Flames fan (as well as Jets blogger as you may know due to my Winnipeg roots), I like to support good causes and appreciate volunteers, and the opportunity to meet the new coach was temptingly and surprisingly available. Of course, I hope to "grill" him with hot questions such as "How do you see Iginla doing on the 3rd line?" and "When will you and Jay announce the surprise buyout from the KHL of Karri Ramo to play goal behind Kipper?", but perhaps that won’t be possible.

I would actually like to get to know the guy a bit (since he’s a father also) and see what he is like and just get a general idea (of whatever he can say) about how he coaches and motivates people. I don’t yet have any permission from anyone like Mr. Hartley or the Flames to ask him anything and blog about it, but here’s hoping.

Kidsport is an excellent cause that I have honestly considered supporting but not previously taken the opportunity. I know when I grew up in a middle-class 5-child household on a modest single-parent income, it was not easy to play some sports. Perhaps that is why my parents put me in soccer and some other less costly ones, but I did not suffer at all, no complaints here!

However, I can easily see how it’s a great idea to support a cause that allows all kids to "experience the positive benefits of organized sports" per the Mission & Vision statement of the organization found at http://www.kidsportcalgary.ca/. More importantly, if you are in an organization that can support Kidsport and their fine work, I really hope you can consider it further and promote the idea with the "powers that be" in your organization. Check the website and go for it! Thanks for allowing me to promote this new found cause of mine and I seriously look forward to hearing good news about supporting Kidsport (and hopefully about NHL games coming soon as well).