Kevin and Jennifer Sopp dedicated their lives to the Sea to Sky minor hockey community—not because of money, recognition or obligation, but a love of the game and a heart for youth.
Kevin’s career took him from minor-level teams on Vancouver Island to the now-defunct Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) and the University of Manitoba Bisons, where he played defence. As a teenager, he began coaching at Howie Meeker's hockey camps in Potsdam, N.Y. and his hometown of Parksville, B.C.
In 1992, Kevin quickly linked up with the Whistler Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) to ultimately coach more than 35 teams in 27 years. He also served on its board of directors for longer than a decade.
Meanwhile, Jennifer became a volunteer manager when their kids Kayla and Tyler entered hockey. In addition to managing 20-odd teams, Jennifer spent almost 10 years overseeing the WMHA treasury and various other board affairs.
The Sopps helmed Whistler’s International All-Star Hockey Tournament for numerous years: a 24-day event that continues today under different operators. It’s an experience that taught them how to organize, lead, and answer tough questions.
Furthermore, Kevin and Jennifer worked at Source for Sports Whistler (now Sportstop) for 20 years: their town’s only hockey store amidst a plethora of ski and bike-oriented shops. After new ownership decided to move away from hockey gear, the couple responded by increasing relevant inventory at Source for Sports Squamish: currently the corridor’s only supplier of skates and sticks.
With all these contributions in mind, the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association (PCAHA) honoured the Sopps with a unique Special Appreciation Award at its May 26 Annual General Meeting.
“It's pretty humbling,” Kevin said. “When you think of the size of the [PCAHA], you're talking everywhere from Hope to the Lower Mainland, to northern Washington state and all the way up the Sea to Sky. There's a lot of other people who have done a lot of good things as well, so to be even recognized is pretty amazing.”
Jennifer’s memories of her managerial days are enough to make her choke up. “It’s been an amazing ride. It's great giving back to the community, working with the kids and just making it fun for everybody. I don't know why more people don't volunteer, because it's so rewarding.”
‘110 per cent’
Though he cut his teeth under a Hockey Hall of Famer in Meeker, scores of Whistlerites look up to Kevin as if he, too, is a giant in the sport.
“I have coached with Kevin for many years … so I can speak from experience that Kevin was a wonderful mentor to the kids and to the coaches,” wrote Dave Felius in a reference letter to the PCAHA. “At the beginning of my coaching experience, I thought I knew a fair amount about hockey by playing some and watching it for many years; but after only a short time assisting Kevin, I realized how much I didn't know.
“I am only one of many coaches in Whistler who were mentored by Kevin and are much better because of it.”
The late Meeker evidently agreed with that sentiment. According to Jennifer, he appeared on a TSN radio interview in the 1990s praising Kevin’s skill and dedication.
Kevin habitually brought a written plan to each practice. He committed serious time to making individualized player drills in addition to organizing full-team activities. His efforts did not waver, regardless of the level he coached or whether his own kids were present.
“You don't do things second-rate,” Kevin said. “If you're going to do something, you do it 110 per cent and get it done properly. Doesn't matter if we're a C team, an A team or a triple-A team … your expectations may be a bit different, but how you want to teach and what you want the players to do doesn’t change.
“At the [more recreational] C level, our end goal was still the same. I think the players like that. They want to be challenged. Just because they're not playing the highest level of hockey doesn't mean they can't have the best level of coaching and the best level of direction.”
Felius also lauded Kevin’s poise behind the bench. He was known for upholding a respectful environment to all (including officials) and displayed patience in situations that may have caused others to lose their temper. Some of Kevin’s teams won banners and did well at provincials, but the majority of his athletes grew as human beings.
Kevin wasn’t always so collected, though.
“In the beginning, I certainly flew off the handle a little bit quicker,” he admitted. “When you’ve coached for 20-plus years, you evolve. The old saying comes back: ‘it’s just a game.’ At the end of the game, people are going to go home and have their dinner, and within an hour and a half you’ve forgotten about [the score].”
‘A bolt of lightning’
It’s said behind every great man is a great woman. In this case, a great woman has been serving alongside her husband from Day 1: a stalwart partner in life and sport.
Jennifer’s old title of “team manager” sounded official, yet gave little hint to the specific nature of her duties. In practice, she was a Swiss army knife: overseeing logistics, scheduling practices, liaising between parents and coaches, arranging equipment and planning extracurricular social events.
Put differently, a good manager allows coaches to do their jobs without having to worry about peripheral elements of a team’s operation.
Make no mistake: Jennifer possesses the same work ethic and drive for excellence as Kevin. She applied herself seriously and did everything possible to set her teams up for success—knowing success looks different to any given athlete.
“I know it’s very competitive,” she said. “If my kids wanted to go play in the NHL, I would have gone to all ends to help them do it … but I think it's all about the team, the camaraderie, learning to work with each other and having a good experience.”
Jennifer led by example when it came to fostering unit cohesion. Felius describes her as “a cheerful bundle of energy” whose contagious attitude rarely failed to uplift the people around her.
“She’s a bolt of lightning,” Kevin affirms. “She takes on stuff that she knows about, and she can get a group of people moving in the right direction. She doesn’t do anything [half-heartedly]. We live together, so we can communicate: 'did we do our best? Did we do our research? Did we do our due diligence?' If so and we still make a bad choice, that happens sometimes, but often things turn out right.”
‘Every day is a school day’
Now that their son Tyler has graduated from high school, Kevin and Jennifer will step away from coaching and managing. It’s a bittersweet change, but they are proud of all their service.
Some, like Felius, reckon the Sopps might be back someday. It certainly wouldn't be the first time a beloved extracurricular commitment has enticed a person or two out of retirement. For the moment, however, Kevin and Jennifer will continue to work for Source for Sports Squamish and help the next generation suit up.
Their uncompromising approach to life remains undimmed.
“I think every day is a school day,” remarked Kevin. “Once you think you know it all, or you've done it all, you probably haven’t and you've probably missed something along the way.”
Jennifer, meanwhile, exhorts others to give of their time and talents.
“I really don’t need any recognition,” she insisted. “We have kids and we should be participating in their lives. I just don't see why more people don't want to embrace that. Literally, it was my pleasure [to be a team manager] and I can always look back and go: ‘Wow, I got to participate in my childrens’ hockey careers.’
“It's nice to be around young people and helping. That's what it's all about, right?”
