The Clackamas print., February 24, 2016, Page 8, Image 8

At the beginning of their Writing 121 class, the players listen to Sue Mach talk about their personal narratives on Jan. 27 In the Moda Center. With events going on In
the Memorial Coliseum the team had to hold class in a different location.
JUNIOR COLLEGE FOR JUNIOR PROS
COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS TRAVEL TO THE ROSE QUARTER TO TEACH THE PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS
STORY A N D PHOTOS BY KATIE ARCHER
Teaching at Clackamas Community Col­
lege normally means going to one of the
three campuses or online. Traveling to
*•< * Memorial Coliseum to teach the Portland
Winterhawks’ players is a bit abnormal.
About four years ago, CCC started work­
ing with the Portland Winterhawks. The
goal is for the players to have options. In
case hockey does not work out, they will
have college credits.
Instructors from CCC have taught the
Winterhawks sport and exercise psychol­
ogy, personal finance and more.
Courses are also scheduled different­
ly and are not the usual 11-w eek class.
Due to the players’ crazy schedules, the
Winterhawks organize the classes to fit
accordingly. The classes last the length of
the season, the end of September to the
end of March, and the instructors host
their classes at the Memorial Coliseum.
Sue Johnson, the educational adviser
for the Winterhawks, said the team feels
strongly about having good education
available for the players. Johnson looks
for classes that are transferable and will
also be of interest to young men.
Johnson said, “[It’s] just as important
for them to be working on their minds as
8 dadoras Print FEBRUARY 24.2016 thee lacks masprintcom
working out.”
The Winterhawks are a part of the West­
ern Hockey League a junior professional
league. Johnson said they are the only
team that requires its players to take
classes.
One of the players, Dominic Turgeon
said, “ It’s helped me a lot, how they make
kids go to school here. I feel like it’s very
important that we do this.”
The players’ ages range from 16-20.
Only the players w ho are out o f high
school will take the college classes taught
by CCC instructors. The high school aged
players will attend classes at a local high
school.
None o f the boys are local. Many of
them come from Canada or other U. S.
states and some have even come from
Europe.
Learning how to keep control of a bunch
of hockey players seemed to be a common
challenge for CCC instructors.
The players are currently taking two
classes, the history of rock and roll and
Writing 121. Sue Mach is teaching Writ­
ing 121.
Mach said, "It’s a challenge, but it’s fun.
They’re an interesting group of guys.”
The players are working on digital sto­
ries, which are personal narratives told
through voiceover and pictures. Mach’s
only requirement was for the players to
be honest.
“The most important thing as a writer
is your voice and telling something that is
original as your finger print,” said Mach.
At first the players were reluctant and
didn’t know how to write. As the class
has proceeded, the players became more
open to writing. Mach said the personal
narratives have been outstanding because
they were coming from a place that was
true to them and hockey was a common
thread.
“ For a lot of these gu ys... hockey was a
way to put meaning back into their lives
or get their lives back together or focus on
something when everything else in their
life was going crazy,” said Mach.
The players were sharing some Very
personal stuff about them, from times of
depression, to trying to become a better
person, to dealing with parents divorcing.
The guys come from different back­
grounds and Jack Dougherty said the team
isn’t going to look down on their team­
mates for sharing personal stuff. In fact,
they like hearing about it because it helps
them get to know each other better.
Keoni Texeira and Skyler McKenzie both
said they liked Mach because she puts up
with them.
“We kinda get rowdy, once in a while,”
said Keoni Texeira. “ She always arguing
back with us, so it’s fun.”
Dougherty shared similar comments.
“ She pushes us,” said Dougherty. “ It’s
a tough job to teach a bunch of teenagers
who, as much as the league would hate to
say it, we aren’t here for school. W e’re
here to play hockey and go to school in
our off tim e.”
Sport and exercise psychology w as
taught by Keoni McHone. Being the CCC
track coach, he is used to w orking on
keeping control of a group when there is
an agenda that he needs to address.
McHone uses an icebreaker early in class
that involves tossing tennis balls and us­
ing people’s names to eventually get two
tennis balls passing at a fast speed.
“We’re into it for probably... [the] lon­
gest I’ve ever had a group do it before.
And one of the guys drops it. And then
he starts running towards the door and a
bunch of the guys jiim^Ontop of him ,”