(From the Stanstead College yearbook)
Senior Boys
Carol Dweck (Stanford professor and author of Mindset - The New Psychology of Success) posited that the determination to master new things and surmount challenges lay in people's beliefs about why they had failed. Those who attributed their failures to a lack of ability were discouraged even when they were capable of success. Those who thought they simply hadn't tried hard enough, on the other hand, were fueled by their setbacks.
Very early in this year, there was good reason for optimism. We had attracted a strong class to campus, student/athletes full of offensive talent and speed, and the staff felt good about achieving our goal of replacing the top half of our roster. The vast majority of our previous team offence had departed with diplomas in hand. A solid foundation of leadership and grit remained, however, neatly in place and ready to reassume their roles. This was key as it would afford us the time we needed to pull the new players in line with how things were done in the land of Spartans. However, serious and lengthy injuries to key veterans made it necessary to address the potential for a very challenging year. Among those lost were the character players, the leaders and the grit of the learn. We would be a work in progress now, forced to pull in the reigns of offensive players, teach a mindset of discipline and selflessness and most importantly establish a defence-first mentality. We were no longer simply filling in holes, we were sculpting new shapes and forms.
Achievement for this team now would manifest itself as the very process of trying and foiling. Thirty-one wins would be the result of six months of toiling, but untimely failures would come at the worst times. Tournament play-down games would slip away, league championship finals would lock offence, and the national weekend would see too many posts hit and not enough shots blocked. As such, no trophies would be won by this group. As dose as we came at times, the setbacks would lead to frustration and disappointment. Constantly having to reel in our emotions, staff and player alike finally grounded ourselves in the reality of our place in time. More time, more maturity and a little more work was necessary.
Our core will return next year fueled by these setbacks, knowing that we can and will master the challenges that assuredly lie ahead. The sting will remain, but the energy and the mindset are in place for a brand new year.
Prep Boys
The Prep (junior) Hockey Spartans won the ETIAC league banner for the second straight year and then capped it off with the ETIAC playoff championship, defeating rival Alexander Galt back to back in a best-of-three final. The boys were also finalists at the AAESQ Neil Provincial Tournament held here and finished the season with an overall record of 26-18-2.
Bantam Boys
The season began with 13 boys and one girl (good job, Maude; it is not always easy to play with a bunch of MACHOS), a mix of bantams and intramurals. We faced strong competition and we ended the season with 3 wins, 5 losses and 2 ties. I want to thank all the players on that incredible team for their effort during the games, the practices on and off the ice and for their good behaviour all through the season, which contributes to the Stanstead College standards. You were young players, but were here to learn and to represent those standards. Thank you to Mr. Rioux, Mr. Colomb and Mr. Vanasse for their huge help all through the season. I also want to thank the support staff at the arena, Josee at the Health Centre and all the people who make a hockey season possible, including the Prep boys who helped for a few games, in fact for a few wins.