Like many people with passion for what they do, Kevin Sinclair, Hockey and Private Lesson Instructor at MIT Recreation, first discovered his love for hockey when he was young. At just 7 years old, he started playing street hockey with kids in his neighborhood. The sport struck a chord with Kevin, and before long, he moved on to the real, on-the-ice deal and joined his school’s traveling team. He continued right through High School, and helped win victory for his team in both 2010 and 2011. And that was it – the ice was in his veins (in the best sense!).

Community on the Ice

The sport of hockey has come to mean more than just a fun game to Kevin though. “The friendships you form through skating/hockey last a lifetime,” says Kevin. And who can doubt it? The game of hockey, like so many team sports, requires not just coordination, but trust among teammates. After so many hours on the ice together, the bonds created there easily carry over to life outside the rink – as do the lessons. Kevin’s favorite quote by famed hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, is a great example. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”. True both in the game and out of it, you cannot expect to accomplish what you do not try for. A shot never taken is already a miss.

Training Future Players

These days, Kevin spends much of his ice time teaching others, young and old, to love and play hockey. For the past 10 years in fact, he has been introducing future players to the sport – and loving every minute of it. “I enjoy watching people gain confidence in their skating ability and becoming more comfortable on skates,” says Kevin, who not only instructs his students on the game, but also on the core fundamentals of skating skill. Currently, you can find him teaching two great courses here at MIT Recreation: Hockey Basics, which gives students the core stick handling, passing and shooting skills for the game, and Private Lessons, which focuses on the skating techniques utilized in the sport.

Learning to skate or pass a puck can be tough at first. Kevin keeps his students focused on their goals. “I believe that when you are constantly striving to better yourself, it keeps you moving forward even when things are difficult,” he says. Kevin finds great motivation in his own life through this philosophy. And of course, its helps when you love what you are working on. “Whether in your academic, athletic or personal pursuits it is important to be passionate about what you are doing,” he says. Kevin brings this passion to his own teaching, and we are happy to have him on our team!