Lyndell Campbell and Amy Main have given a lot of themselves to minor hockey, now it’s giving back.
The Penticton Minor Hockey Association (PMHA) graduates have scored the Harold Gardner Bursary of $750 for their educational futures. The PMHA said that both exhibited a solid academic standing, good sportsmanship, excellent hockey ability and performance and are outstanding young women.
Campbell enters her second year at UBC-Okanagan and said the money will be helpful as she studies human kinetics. An overage player in the midget recreation level, Campbell said last year was her favourite season. Part of it was because she was named an assistant captain for Peaches Lingerie.
“I felt like I was part of a team more and everyone looked up to me I think,” said Campbell. “We did really well.”
Peaches Lingerie clinched the Okangan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association championship with a 3-2 win against Kelowna last February. One of the highlights for Campbell was scoring goals, something she normally didn’t do.
“I was proud of myself for that,” said Campbell, who played right wing and centre. “I really enjoyed going on out of town games, getting to know my teammates more. I enjoyed bonding with them.”
It was a positive way for Campbell to end her career after the season before was tough. Getting named an assistant captain made her feel like a leader and gave her confidence. Campbell, a fan of the Montreal Canadiens, said she will miss being on the ice every week.
“Now that it’s kind of taken away from me, I miss it a lot,” said Campbell, who would love to keep playing if the opportunity presents itself.
Main, who captained the Midget Vees team that hosted provincials last season, said she appreciates that minor hockey has given back to her as she heads off to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
“It means a lot that I’m going to university with that money,” she said. “A little piece of me is going into my textbook money.”
What minor hockey did for her goes beyond that, as playing the game helped her build confidence and become the person she is today. Main, who is interested in majoring in international relations or studying sociology, said her final season of hockey was amazing.
“It was such a great experience. We traveled a lot. We went to Montana. We hosted the provincials,” she said, adding that hockey was a great escape for her. “It was really great to be able to do that in my last year of hockey.”
One of the highlights of her last season was playing with her younger sister Andrea. She began playing minor hockey in 100 Mile House for four years where her family lived before her moving to Penticton. She too would like to continue playing in a recreation league, but she also discovered she would like to coach after working at the Okanagan Hockey School over the summer.
“PMHA wishes both girls the very best of luck as they embark on their educational and hockey journeys,” said the organization in a release.
