The Wonder World of Hockey and … “The Strange and Wonderful Life of Paul Chahivec”

Posted by Jim on August 19, 2014
Posted in: Cree Bears, Hockey, hockey Skills, Jim Serba, mike serba memorial golf tournament, Mistissini Quebec, Paul Chahivec.

This Story Is Not About Me … But I Have To Start Somewhere …….

Most of you know about my son Michael’s connection with the game of hockey but I’m not sure that very many are aware how much hockey has been a big part of my life.

Early on I taught both my sons to skate and in 1991 just as they were just beginning to learn the game I took them to watch a very special team known as Druzhba “78” from Ukraine play a tournament in Toronto just after they had destroyed all of the competition to win the world famous Quebec International Peewee Tournament. The hockey skills of that team were extraordinary. I was fascinated with what I saw and wanted my boys to learn those skills.  Being of Ukrainian descent I was able to speak with the those involved with the team and began to learn about what is known as the “Russian” method of hockey skating and skills development. Unfortunately, there was no one in Toronto at that time that was experienced to instruct in this method.

I went on to coach at every level from house league all the way to AAA midget with the Toronto Marlies of the GTHL. When I was coaching a Minor Bantam team; just before a practice, a saw a man doing do a team sessionIMG_1265a2 and when I saw the drills he was doing I knew right away that this person was teaching the so-called “Russian” hockey skills. The man I saw was Jari Byrski and he had just opened a hockey school called SK8ON. At the first opportunity I had my son Michael attend a week-long summer camp with SK8ON. Jari fell in love with Mike because of his skating ability and skill at demonstrating drills and hired Michael right away as an instructor. Since Mike was only 14 years old, I was the one driving him to work for Jari and since his school was growing very quickly I also became an instructor with SK8ON ….. it made sense rather than just hang around for 3 hours to drive Michael home. I went on to work at SK8ON for 14 years; in the end spending up to 7 hours a day, up to 6 days a week on the ice. During that time I absorbed as much as I could about these so-called “Russian” skating and hockey skills methods and how to teach them.

While working with SK8ON, I was fortunate to teach some great kids and meet their supportive parents. As well, during this time I worked with quite a few top hockey players including a number of 1st round NHL draft picks.

Every Time I Try To Get Out They Pull Me Back In …. and …. The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I have always believed that there was nothing  magical about learning hockey skills and they can be taught to anyone with even average athleticism as long as the instructor knows what he’s doing. The problem is that most of them don’t ….. you see most hockey schools are run by failed hockey players. By a failed hockey player I mean one that didn’t make it to the “big time” and therefor didn’t make the big bucks; so having done nothing but be on skates most of there lives and not knowing what else to do when there playing options have run out, they open a hockey school.

In 2009 I retired from SK8ON. I hadn’t put on skates for about 4 years when a good friend of mine; Peter Czumak, (knowing about my background in hockey) asked me to teach his young son Andrew skating and hockey skills. Andrew was just 6 years old  (born in late October of 2006, he is one of the youngest in his age group) and hadn’t done much skating at all before. He was just in house league but was playing with kids that had been skating for 2 or more years. I’ve worked with Andrew on the ice for the past year and now at age 7 he will be playing at the Select A level this coming season. It’s been great being on the ice once again and seeing young Andrew develop.

Now Finally We Get To The Point Of The Story …

PaulJim3aIt turns out my friend Peter grew up with a fellow by the name of Paul Chahivec. Peter Czumak, Paul Chahivec and I are all from a Ukrainian background. To say the least Paul has led a very interesting life. His father was an accomplished athlete and pushed all of his children hard in all varieties of athletics including gymnastics and even ballet. His father was also what I call a “hard-core” – “old-school” Ukrainian ……  very tough and demanding. Paul’s father was also an alcoholic and could be brutally abusive.

As a young man, Paul excelled as an athlete in many different sports and I’m certain; in part, his success was because of his demanding and hard-driving father. To this day Paul is thankful to his father especially for the opportunities in gymnastics and ballet and credits his success in his many other sporting endeavors for that training. As a result, Paul had incredible opportunities in hockey, lacrosse and gymnastics; but while his father pushed Paul to success, his abusiveness also pushed Paul to rebel.

Paul’s rebellion led to an incredible and adventurous life; a lot of it lived on a very thin edge from which a fall to the wrong side could result in disaster. Ironically, his father’s hard-driving nature not only pushed him to excel in athletics, it also taught Paul how to survive in the most difficult of situations. I know you will be amazed by Paul’s story but rather than write a lot about those adventures I urge you to read a recent article in The National Post by Dave Bindini titled “The Strange and Wonderful Life of Paul Chahivec”.

Recently, Paul and his soon to be bride Sarah were in Toronto for theirGroup2 wedding and I was fortunate to not only meet Paul, but to share some time on the ice with him and watch him work his magic. You see Paul was also trained in the so-called “Russian” method of skating and hockey skills.  As a youngster he was trained by and a star pupil of Dr. Yasha Smuskin and later played and trained in the Russia’s KHL hockey league. This so-called “Russian” method is what I saw played many years ago by that team from Druzhba Ukraine and what I learned from Jari Byrski at SK8ON.  As I said, I always believed that these skills can be taught to athletes of even average skills and what Paul has accomplished with his team gives me further proof.

Paul’s girlfriend Sarah got her teaching certificate and with openings scarce in southern Ontario, Paul and Sarah headed out where she could get a teaching position  ….. first in Stanley Mission Saskatchewan and finally in Mistissini Quebec, a Cree community east of James Bay. Paul began to help coach the local hockey team the Cree Bears. The team’s record had been less than stellar …. but remember those “Russian” hockey skills …. well; being expert in them and equally important, being an expert in teaching of them, Paul went to work on his passion …. and guess what? …. last year the Cree Bears made it to the finals only to lose out in overtime. Hopefully this season they’ll go all the way and if Paul Chahivec has anything to say about it, it’s as good a done.

Why We Support Children’s Charities

Posted by Jim on June 7, 2014
Posted in: Jim Serba, mike serba, mike serba memorial golf tournament, Silver Creek Pre-school. Tagged: , , , , , .

One early memory imprinted in my brain of my son Michael is his natural connection with and affinity for children.

I remember when we are at that stage in our lives as a young family having young children and hanging around with other young couples at the same stage of their lives.  We would frequently get together to socialize and; of course, the children would find ways to amuse themselves with play.

Now when Michael was about 4 years old a couple of our friends had youngMike&Iva children about  6 to 8 months of age …….. not newborns but not yet at the stage of starting to walk …….. just at that stage of still being chauffeured around in a stroller by Mom. I was struck with fact that frequently; when Mike’s brother Andrew (about 20 months older than Michael) and the other children would run off and engage play, Mike would stay back to play with and engage the young child in the stroller. He would be very animated and sing some silly made up song entertaining the child and try to get them to laugh …… frequently alternating between an animated dance and then crouching down to hold the child’s hand and sing to them.

Later on as a young teen Mike would work as a counselor at a summer camp. He also spent many hours (almost countless hours) on the ice as an instructor at a hockey school. Mike always enjoyed his time on the ice and had a great rapport with young kids he instructed.

As a student athlete playing hockey for Norwich University in Vermont Mike was acutely aware that he was looked up to as a role model for the young hockey fans in the community and he took those responsibilities seriously; especially when dealing with the young children.

Mike always loved to be an entertainer and have a good time with his friends or for that matter whoever he happened to be with.

When Danny, Mike and Jeff came up the idea of having a charity golf tournament in Mike’s memory; it was clear that the monies collected should be donated to a charity in support of children. Most important to us was that we supported a most worthy and meaningful charity. By that we felt it should be one that was really hands on in the most real way, one that was community based, one where all the monies were focused to helping the children and on one where the dollars that we were able to donate would make a significant impact. Upon refection, this was actually a really tall order.

silvercreek_logo2Eventually we were fortunate to be introduced to Silver Creek Pre-School and have supported them for the past 5 years. I remember my first visit to Silver Creek not at all knowing what to expect. I can tell you that the impact on me was immediate and very emotional. As we went from room to room with Executive Director Susan Kawa showing us around the school, it didn’t take long for the tears to well up and to be so moved by the interaction of the  children and the staff at work. It was obvious that Silver Creek was the perfect choice.

I’ll write more about our connection to Sliver Creek in the future but for now I encourage you to visit the school and I know you will be proud of how your generosity helps these wonderful people do some truly great work. Just give me or Susan Kawa a call and we’ll be most happy to set up a visit.

Mike Serba Memorial Golf Tournament 2013

Posted by Jim on November 27, 2013
Posted in: mike serba, mike serba memorial golf tournament. Tagged: , , , , , .

PROOF THAT WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY “THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD” SUPPORTING THE MIKE SERBA MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT …….. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

For our first 6 years we were blessed with really great weather.  I remember back in 2011 it rained for about 3 days solid leading up to the tournament …. and then early in the morning of the event the skies cleared and once again we enjoyed a beautiful day. The “boys” and I (actually it’s the boys & girls & I) have developed a bit of a routine to get us through to the day of the event and the post event wrap-up which ends with presenting the proceeds to the charity we support; Silver Creek Pre-School. Part of the routine is to start checking out the long-range weather forecast for the day of the tournament …. always hoping and praying for a great weather day.

This past year was no different. At first, the long-range forecast was iffy and as we got closer to the date it was showing a front with rain was moving in. The day before the tourney it predicted rain starting in the evening with it ending about 11 or 12 the next morning. I was praying for the rain to start  as soon as possible which would mean (I hoped) that the front would move through faster than expected and the weather would clear for tee-off time.

When I awoke in the morning, there was a steady but light drizzle of rain. At about 8 am while having breakfast it looked for a moment like it might be clearing and the weather app on my phone was still showing that the rain would end by about noon.

But so much for the weather app and the predictions. The front stalled right over our heads and the rain kept coming.  When I got to the golf course I was advised that the course was unplayable and the tournament would have to be cancelled.

It was a real big kick in some nether region that took all of the oxygen out of my lungs. My first reaction was despondency ….  all the year’s work by everyone down the drain …. my next immediate  reaction was heartbreak. The charity we support; Silver Creek, was going to take a big hit financially because a lot of people didn’t show and didn’t pay in advance and those that did would likely want a refund.

Thank God for the “boys” (of course, I mean boys and girls)  kept their wits about them and pulled together to organize a lunch and the silent auction for those that showed up to the golf course and did a great job of salvaging the day.

THE PROOF!

Over the next few days we had to call all of our contacts ……. you see quite a few participants had pre-paid and most of of our hole sponsors had pre-paid or given commitments and we had to give them an opportunity for a refund.

Silver Creek 2013

Silver Creek 2013

Well virtually everyone left their money in  and all of our hole sponsors kept their commitments of support. In fact; one person who had committed to a foresome for golf and a hole sponsorship and had not yet paid, gave me a cheque for the full amount.

So this year …… thanks to those “BEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD” that support the Mike Serba Memorial Golf Tournament ….. we were able to donate $21,000.00 to Silver Creek in Mike’s memory.

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.