Tofield Tom Thumb and Initiation teams hosted their annual home tournament this weekend

This past weekend, the Tofield Titans Tom Thumb and Initiation teams hosted six other out-of-community hockey teams – Strathcona Golden Warriors Tom Thumb, Sherwood Park Storm Troopers Tom Thumb, Sherwood Park Snipers Tom Thumb, Strathcona Initiation #2, Strathcona Initiation #3, and New Sarepta – at the Tofield Arena.

With a well-stocked raffle table and some huge 50/50 draws, the weekend was a bonding of the Tom Thumb and Initiation hockey communities.

Tom Thumb Coach Marc Dehid said that the main thing they try to do as coaches is make sure that the kids are having fun. With his son Lane on the team for two years, and his daughter Austin, now in her third year on the team, Dehid explained it’s easy to keep the kids happy.

“All we need to do is give them a stick and allow them to step on ice,” Dehid added. “Early on our focus is on helping them to get more comfortable skating both forwards and backwards . . . we throw in lots of games; but a challenging part can be holding their attention when you are trying to coach/instruct them so we are always reinforcing the importance of respecting the teammates and coaches by listening when we are instructing.” . . . contd.