Pats and Congrats: DWMHA Winner of "Fair Play Player of Year" Award
I missed this newsworthy item from one of my local minor hockey associations, so I wanted to make sure that one of our young goalies from Dartmouth was properly recognized for his accomplishment.
Cole Bunge, a young and up-and-coming goalie for the Whalers Minor Hockey Association won the "Fair Play Player of the Year" Award. What I really feel this award shows is how even a goaltender can take on the role of a team's leader. Often the image of a goalie is an athlete who is seperate from his team, whether by choice or by design. Many who take on the role of a goalie are excused for not exactly "fitting-in" with their team. Cole has demonstrated that the goalie can be a positive and influential leader for their teammates. I hope to have more goalies inspired by these awards to step up and out of the shadows to grab the reins of leadership.
The award itself was an admirable recognition for players (and goalies) that exhibit the following criteria:
- Consistent positive attitude
- Supportive to teammates
- Strives to improve
- Behaviour consistent with Fair Play principles
