Hockey Outreach in Canada
In late April 2025, NANE President Ryan O’Leary led and participated in a Christian hockey camp on the Piikani First Nations Reserve in southern Alberta, Canada. The First Peoples Initiative that Dr. O’Leary leads, partnered with two other ministries in Canada in offering this Christian camp. These two ministries are Athletes in Action Canada and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The young people on this reserve were very excited to be a part of this hockey camp.
Carbon Monoxide Leak
Unfortunately, during the first morning of the camp, there was a carbon monoxide leak in the arena. The rest of the on-ice part of the camp ended. The leaders of the camp quickly adjusted and developed a strictly off-ice hockey training program. This included dry-land training, hockey-specific, hockey-related training, and organized floor hockey games. Ryan participated in the final championship game and taught hockey skills through various drills. Along with the hockey-related work, various Christian workers and leaders shared their faith stories and provided other biblical instruction to the youth and adults present.
Community Gathering
The day after the carbon monoxide leak occurred, a community gathering/dinner was held at the community center on the reserve. Ryan was asked to give the keynote message at this event about an hour before it took place. As Ryan prayed about what God wanted him to share, he received the verse from Psalms. Psalms 34:8 states: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.”
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.”
Psalms 34:8
Ryan shared his own life story and how he had a grandfather and grandmother who were both removed from the reservation and were placed in distant boarding schools. He also shared how his grandmother grew up only speaking Ojibwe, and when she was placed in a boarding school in Hayward, WI, she was immediately told by teachers and school officials not to speak her language anymore. When she did, they beat her hands with a sharp edge of a ruler until they bled and were bruised.
Ryan shared about how his grandma, because of what she experienced in boarding school and was taught Christianity in the school, had a hard time perceiving that God was and is good! Ryan also talked about how in the midst of a difficult situation that occurred at the camp that God was and is still good as well. Ryan heard a positive response to this message.
This hockey school was very valuable in that it brought significant ministries in Canada, Athletes in Action Canada and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, to work together with Ryan and others. And, God’s truth was shared during this camp. A great step of unity was evident through this camp!