Tightening the skates of the younger players has become a routine for local hockey coach, Tristan Surmik. His hands have grown calluses from the constant tightening of skates.

As the players rush out of the change room, all he can hear is the sounds of the players blades hitting the ground and the feeling of fulfilment overtakes him.

“I enjoy working with youth teams because I enjoy giving back and helping the next generation of athletes to become better players but also better people.” said Surmik. 

Surmik has been working with youth teams all over the city for over 13 years. He began refereeing for youth teams in Vulcan at the age of 12 after falling in love with the sport. He stated that the role models in his life like his father and brother, heavily influenced his love for hockey. He then moved to Lethbridge when he was 15 and coached for Lethbridge youth teams. 

Surmik’s influence with the younger boys he works with was prominent.

“He’s a lot of fun to be around and definitely makes practices and games more fun. He helps keep everyone in check which is so important because we can get a little crazy sometimes.” said 14-year-old hockey player, AJ Fernandez. Fernandez states that although Surmik pushes the children to try their best, he’s able to word it in a manner that motivates the young boys instead of discouraging them.

“Having a positive role model helps boost confidence in young players and helps foster a sense of motivation and resilience in life that will shape their character as they grow and mature. It helps promote a positive attitude toward the sport.” said Surmik. Surmik hopes to foster an environment for children where negative behaviours aren’t encouraged nor are they tolerated. Growing up in the sport, Surmik experienced slight bullying from his teammates for being an awkward kid. He stated that it constructed a toxic sport environment that made it hard for the younger version of himself to stay in the sport.

In the article titled “Looking for Positive Male Role Models? They’re All Around You” written by Gill Harrop for Psychology Today in June 2025, it says “boys are more likely to adopt a role model of the same gender, and the influence of that role model can affect their thoughts, feelings, actions and attitudes as they try to imitate or adopt their behaviour.” Children like Surmik who grew up playing sports develop a strong sense of competition that they take into their adult lives and it is important to have a positive attitude when it comes to those rivalries.

Surmik said that being able to help these young boys grow into better people and to shape a positive change in their lives has also helped him with his own life. He said that he’s noticed the positive effect it has had on him as he recently found himself having a more optimistic mindset when it comes to casual mistakes. Surmik says that he has found himself happier by being more forgiving of these little errors showing the benefits of the environment he is cultivating with the youth he works with.