Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Old Coach Vladimir

We were so excited to see our friend Coach Vladimir again in Kungur. We met "old coach" on our very first scouting visit to Kungur back in 2005. Vladmir has been coaching in the city since the Soviet days, in fact for over 40 years, and had coached most of the players we played in our games at one time or another. On our last visit, he was coaching a team that loved hockey but could not afford gear. Out of his meager pension, Coach had purchased skates, gloves and sticks for his boys - talk about dedication! He is now retired after having both eye surgery and heart surgery this year. But he still loves the game and braved the cold weather to come out and watch our games 2 nights in a row. Spending time with Vladamir and getting to introduce him to our team made our trip to Kungur complete.



2 comments:

Howard and Judy said...

Hi guys,
Just got a chance to read your most recent news. What a great trip you are having. And i hear it won't be long until you're heading home. hope the last days are as memorable as the first weeks. It's a great picture of Old Coach Glen and Old Coach Kunger, and you Canadians have such great smiles. It's no wonder you've been a blessing.

nmars said...

I agree!! Imagine the dedication to coach for 40 years, imagine the impact he has made on kids lives. Blessings on you Old Coach Vladimir. The team looks great!!