Goodbye and Thank You.
As the clock runs out on the 2021/22 season, I wanted to take this opportunity to say goodbye and thanks to all the London Junior Mustangs players, parents, coaches, fans and committee members for allowing me the privilege of serving them for the past 8 seasons.
Eight seasons have come and gone so quickly. I have watched your children grow and thrive in a game that offers them life lessons with every pass of the puck and stride of the blade. I know some of you by name, some of you just by face or voice, but I feel like I know all of you through our collective pride of belonging to the Purple and White.
I have had the pleasure of working with and being supported by some of the best people in minor sports. Thanks to Kevin for thinking I could take on this role before the Mustangs were ever formed. Thanks to Jack Boyce, Graham Babbage and Mike Branco, Frank Cooke, Derek Drummond and Justin Hoffer for their support in the early years of the London Junior Mustangs White program.
Thanks to the committee members of the past eight seasons. While I may have been the face you saw or the voice you heard, the committee members were and very much are the backbone of the London Junior Mustangs. The time and commitment they give to the management and betterment of LJM and its players and families cannot be measured simply in hours. Their knowledge, passion and sense of duty to our young athletes ensures that all who want to play this game, can play this game because they will always figure it out for them.
Thanks to all of the present and past presidents of the GLHA member associations, the coaches, asst. coaches, trainers, managers, parent reps, treasurers, the board members of the London Bandits, North London Nationals, Oakridge Aeros and West London Hawks and Alliance Hockey.
The biggest and sincerest heartfelt thanks goes to all the athletes who have worn the purple and white. May you all grow up to remember your time with the London Junior Mustangs. Always remember the effort you put into trying to be better as a player and a teammate and the immense sense of pride you felt when you mastered a drill, scored a goal, made a save or shook the hands of your opponents after a hard fought battle. We entrust the future of this game to you, the youth. Be kind to each other and make sure to save a spot on the bench for everyone and anyone who wants to play this great sport.
While my duties start to dwindle, I wanted to make sure one of my last official tasks would be welcoming the new London Junior Mustangs Chairperson, Sean Jeffries. Sean has been a coach and a committee member with the Mustangs organization for several years. I have had the incredible opportunity to work with Sean over the past two seasons as the Purple and White committees blended into one. I have admired Sean's positive, knowledgeable and easy to talk to presence. I have appreciated his support and insight over these past two years. He is an excellent person to lead the London Junior Mustangs into the next phase of its development. I wish him the best of luck in his new position.
Thank you one and all for fostering my love of the game. I am forever grateful.
Sionainn