The Oshawa Hockey Jamaica initiative is helping introduce a new generation of young athletes to the sport, with Oshawa native Saroya Tinker taking part in a three-day ball-hockey program in Jamaica.
Tinker joined members of the Women of Colour Hockey Collective for the international outreach project, which was designed to give children who may never have played hockey an opportunity to learn the game.
Because Jamaica does not have the same access to ice facilities found in Canada, participants learned through ball hockey, allowing them to practise basic skills with sticks while playing on a dry surface.
Independent reporting on the program says approximately 150 children participated in clinics held in Kingston in late July.
Young players quickly adapted to hockey
Tinker said one of the biggest surprises was how quickly participants learned the game.
Organizers had spent considerable time considering how they would explain stickhandling and other fundamentals to children who had never played hockey.
Once the sticks were handed out, however, she said the young players adapted quickly.
About half of the participants were girls, an important part of the program’s broader mission to increase representation and show girls of colour that hockey can be an option for them.
The Women of Colour Hockey Collective says its wider work focuses on mentorship, equipment assistance, scholarships and opportunities that help women and girls of colour see themselves represented in hockey.
Experienced players served as mentors
The Oshawa Hockey Jamaica program included women who have competed at high levels of the sport.
Tinker previously represented Canada at the under-18 level, while other participants have played NCAA, professional and international hockey.
That experience gave children a chance to learn from athletes who could also serve as visible role models.
For Tinker, representation is particularly important because children with Caribbean or other international backgrounds may not traditionally see hockey as a sport connected to their communities.
She hopes grassroots programs can eventually contribute to stronger hockey participation in countries such as Jamaica, Pakistan, Puerto Rico and Kenya.
Oshawa connection includes equipment support
Another Durham Region connection came through Oshawa native Zechariah Thomas of Whitby-based Swift Hockey.
According to the supplied article, Thomas helped provide sticks, shirts and other equipment for the participants, with the contribution valued at about $20,000.
Equipment access is often one of the major barriers to entering hockey, making ball hockey a comparatively accessible way to introduce children to the sport.
The Women of Colour Hockey Collective similarly identifies equipment support as one of the ways it works to create pathways into hockey.
Tinker continues work across women’s hockey
Tinker remains active in several parts of the women’s hockey community.
She leads the Women of Colour Hockey Collective, which grew from earlier work focused on Black women and girls in hockey.
The organization describes her as its co-founder and executive director.
She has also worked with the Professional Women’s Hockey League on inclusion and community initiatives.
In July, the PWHL partnered with the Women of Colour Hockey Collective on programs aimed at helping more than 200 girls and women of colour remain involved in hockey through camps and financial support.
Kenya planned as next international stop
The Oshawa Hockey Jamaica project is intended to be only the beginning of a broader international effort.
The supplied report says organizers hope to take the program to Kenya in 2027 as part of a multi-country initiative focused on expanding hockey opportunities.
For Tinker, the goal extends beyond teaching children how to hold a stick or play a game.
The larger aim is to help young athletes see hockey as a sport in which they can participate, compete and eventually represent their communities internationally.
