The Hespeler Shamrocks U10 AA team was looking for something to do after their game at a recent tournament in Richmond Hill was delayed, so they wandered outside the arena to a nearby softball field to watch men's slo pitch and pass the time.
What happened next was a life lesson no one expected.
In one dugout sporting yellow jerseys was the Q107 radio station team who had fallen behind early in their game. When a member of the team noticed the youngsters had come to watch them play, he encouraged them to cheer.
So they did.
The encouragement was just what the team needed to propel them to a comeback victory. When the game ended, the Shamrocks headed back into the arena to prepare for their own.
The Q107 team followed to show their appreciation, chanting "Let's Go Shamrocks" and cheering on the youngsters to a 16-1 win.
"The men came into the arena with their cleats and uniforms on to cheer us on," Sharon McKeown, the Shamrocks team manager said.
"They were banging on the board. The boys thought they were celebrities because they were getting cheered. It was a unique experience."
The Shamrocks went on to win the Mary Parkinson Memorial Tournament and the following week they received a shoutout from the radio station live on air. The host even announced when the team enters the tournament next year, they'll do so under the name Shamrocks as a tribute to their new friends.
For McKeown and many of the other parents, the experience was more than just a fun back and forth. It was an opportunity to teach their boys the impact showing kindness and being supportive can have on people.
"We talk about it all the time, we want to not just develop good hockey players but also create productive citizens," she said.
"We want to help the players grow on and off the ice. We try hard as a rep team to provide opportunities to help them understand these life lessons. I realize it's a small moment in time but for these boys, it put smiles on their faces."
McKeown says it was a good reminder why the organization puts in countless hours to ensure the players have a positive experience.
"To me, it fulfills and solidifies why we do this as parents," she said.
"Those connections between each other reminds us that there's a lot of good out there. It provides them with experiences and feedback they can’t get elsewhere. Our parents were proud of them."
