All Photos presented predate COVID restrictions |
Sarah Zister
It is said children will emulate what they see and Sarah has learned from her dad and his involvement in hockey how great it is to give back. A young teenage Sarah started to volunteer in 2008 and has held many different volunteer roles - On-Ice Helper,Assistant Coach, Convenor of 4on4, and Tournament Volunteer. Sarah continues to play as a Lady Ranger on our Senior Team as well as being the team trainer.
During this current unique season of hockey in Covid, Sarah has assisted our KMHA Development Coordinator, Dean DeSilva, with the On-ice Testing program created for all of our Rep Teams. Dean has expressed his own appreciation for Sarah’s willingness to help and volunteer through his message:
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All Photos presented predate COVID restrictions
![Volunteer_-_Sarah_Zister_-_Mar-2021_-_Pic_4_-_Updated.jpg](/public/images/common/articles/KMHA Newslettter/Volunteer_-_Sarah_Zister_-_Mar-2021_-_Pic_4_-_Updated.jpg) |
“Over the past 2 months I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sarah Zister to plan our on ice skill testing for KMHA players. There has been an enormous amount of time that has gone into this behind the scene and Sarah has been front and centre. She has been extremely generous in offering her time, her knowledge and her experience when it comes to the laser equipment that is being used for our skill testing. Her ambition and willingness to give her time has been amazing. She has been patient with everyone involved in learning the equipment, setting up user manuals and providing insight into the manner the skills can be run most efficiently to ensure the best experience for the players. Sarah has been willing to give up her time on short notice when others have had to cancel. She always has a smile on her face, a joke or funny story to share. Working long days, during a busy work season for her, she is still willing to give her time in the evenings and on weekends, quite often running from one of our skill testing sessions to her own hockey practices. While it would be easy for most of us to say we aren’t available, Sarah always makes herself available to help KMHA out any time and in any capacity.
There have been many people that have been involved in developing and setting up the skill testing to whom I’m extremely grateful for their assistance. Sarah’s willingness to provide her time in the manner she does has been absolutely extraordinary and generous. She’s been an absolute pleasure to work with and get to know through this project. Her work and time have set KMHA up to be in an extremely good position for tracking the development of our rep players, boys and girls, moving forward.”
Thank you so much Sarah for all you've done
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All Photos presented predate COVID restrictions
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Mike Pisarchuk
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All Photos presented predate COVID restrictions |
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All Photos presented predate COVID restrictions |
“The greatest thing about hockey is the people you meet. The people I’ve met… The friendships I have, the memories, there’s nothing like it. It’s the greatest game in the world.” – Wayne Gretzky
So true has this statement been for Mike Pisarchuk, a head coach and volunteer for KMHA for over 8 consecutive years.
Mike joined KMHA as a coach with his brother-in-law, Eric Blais, in order to give back to the community and to teach future generations the game they both love.
“I grew up in Kitchener as a die hard Rangers fan”, says Mike. “Being able to become a head coach for Kitchener and leader for our Jr. Rangers on the ice has become one of my greatest passions in life. I have met so many interesting players and people and for that I am forever grateful.”
To say that this passion for coaching runs in Mike’s family is an understatement. Mike’s grandfather, Ron Richardson, who sadly passed in 2019, also coached at various levels in KMHA for over 20 years. “Like Walter Gretzky, my grandfather was the epitome of a great hockey dad. I was so happy that he got to see Eric and I lead two select teams to Alliance Championships and to the finals on two other occasions.”
Mike hopes to continue to climb the ranks in KMHA as a coach and to become an advocate for other ex-players to join as non-parent coaches, and to help mould the next generation of great players from this city.