At home on the rink and in the fairway
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Gavin Carver is a 14-year-old, Grade 9 student who attends St. Paul’s High School.
Gavin grew up playing several sports including baseball, soccer, and lacrosse. Now, though, he has settled on two favourites — hockey and golf.
“Living in Winnipeg with the cold and snow you can’t golf all year, but I have been golfing since I learned how to walk,” he said.
Supplied photo
Gavin Carver enjoys hockey and golf but is determined to try to earn a golf scholarship to a U.S. college.
“I have always loved playing hockey because I really enjoy playing with my friends. Hockey and golf are interesting comparisons. With hockey you have teammates to rely on. In golf you are all alone. It’s just you and the golf course. Right now I play hockey for the Pembina Valley Twisters. I play right wing. I am pretty tall (6-3) and most of my coaches have suggested that I play defence, but I like playing forward.”
Ask Gavin which is his favourite sport, and he takes a long pause.
“I don’t know. I really like playing hockey with my friends. We have a lot of fun,” he said. “I think I would have a better chance to get a scholarship with golf. As I get older I think I will probably play more golf.”
Gavin and his dad Mark, mom Traci, and brother Zach live in southwest Winnipeg and he’s grateful for the support of his family
“All the time, effort, and money they put into allowing me to play hockey and golf, I am very thankful for all of that;” he said. “My dad has coached me for many years in hockey and we have had a lot of fun. We also golf for fun together. Most of the time I beat him. Once in a while he beats me. We usually play from the same tees but lately he has been asking me if he can play from the senior tees.”
St. Paul’s is a demanding school but Gavin says he enjoys it.
“The school year has been pretty good,” he said. “Everyone talks about there being a lot of homework, but it’s not too bad. We just finished the first semester. It felt like it went by real quickly. My favourite class is social studies. My teacher’s name is Anthony Falvo. He attended St. Paul’s when he was younger. I like social studies. I like the subject and I like how smooth the workload is.”
Gavin is a gifted, hard worker who is focused on his dream.
“My focus is to secure a golf scholarship,” he said. “I have played spring hockey in the past but this year I am going to use that time to focus more on my golf game.”
Gavin offers this advice to young athletes: “Try different sports, have fun, and always try your best.”
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.