Budding star sounds like a coach’s dream
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/10/2022 (233 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Max George is a 13-year-old who attends the Starbuck Hockey Academy at Starbuck School.
“It’s great,” Max says. “The instructors are great, teachers are great — the entire program is great. It’s awesome to jump on the ice every day during school hours. School is going good. I am doing pretty well in my classes. My favourite class is social studies. I enjoy it. I like history and things like mapping.”
Max is one of those kind of kids who lives, eats, and breathes the sport he loves.
Max George plays centre for the U15 AAA Winnipeg Wild Gold.
“I started playing hockey when I was three,” he says. “I play centre. That is my favourite position to play. To me the most important part of playing centre is supporting the defensive zone. It is really important on our team to support the defence. The most important part is defence.”
He sounds like a coach’s dream but Max also likes playing in the O-zone.
“I would describe myself as an offensive player. I like the feeling of scoring, so I try to do it as much as I can,” he says.
Max is playing for the Winnipeg Wild Gold U15 AAA team.
“We have an all-around great group of guys. Being around the boys is always the best part of my day,” he says. “We are all one big family. The players, the coaches. We all just connect.”
I was told that Max is the kind of kid who has to be chased out of the gym, even as they set the alarm and turn the lights off.
“I love working out. I want to go to the gym to work out,” he says. “I really focus on training to get stronger and making gains during the offseason. I spent a lot of time at Overtime Fitness and look forward to getting back there after the season.”
Max lives in Charleswood with his dad Stephen, mom Katie, and sister Adely.
“I would like to give a huge thank you to my mom and dad for their incredible commitment to me and hockey. Anything I want to do with the game they help me. I really want to say thank you to them.”
Max is a well-spoken, talented young man who is very focused on getting better every day and preparing for his future.
“My short-term goal is getting ready for the WHL bantam draft next year,” he says. “My long-term goal, like any hockey kid, is to play in the NHL.”
Max offers this advice to young athletes: “Fall in love with the game and work hard. Your sport should be your happy place. Show up, work hard, and have fun. Sports were created to have fun, so have fun.”
Troy Westwood
Westwood's Sports Heroes
Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicker Troy Westwood writes about Winnipeg’s unsung sports heroes every other week in the Canstar Community News weeklies.