BV Friends of the Flames Mentorship Program
Each year, BVHS teams are paired together so that over the course of the season, the opportunity for peer mentoring and community building can occur. This helps to further our goal of creating an environment that enables our players to grow not only as players, but as individuals. This is a great opportunity for players to learn the importance of being involved in the community, and the importance of giving back to the game of hockey.
In the past we have found that providing the players’ the opportunity to participate in practices and mentor one another, co-team building events as well as attending the games of their paired teams has always been met positively by the players themselves.
We have found that no matter the age group, cross-interaction between teams is always well received and it’s a big part of building the Bow Valley Hockey Society’s Culture.
Building Community Through Mentorship
At Bow Valley Hockey Society, we believe that hockey is about more than developing skilled players—it is about developing confident leaders, strong teammates, and engaged members of our community. Through our Friends of the Flames program, we bring the Flames Philosophy to life by creating meaningful connections between teams and players throughout our association.
Mentorship is one of the most powerful tools we have for building confidence, fostering leadership, and strengthening our hockey community. Younger players benefit from learning alongside older athletes who serve as positive role models, while older players gain valuable leadership experience by giving back to the game and inspiring the next generation.
To help strengthen these connections, we are piloting a new approach this season. Rather than leaving teams to find mentorship opportunities on their own, each team will be intentionally paired with another team within the association. Our goal is to remove the guesswork and provide every team with a meaningful opportunity to build relationships, create memories, and strengthen our Flames community.
Getting Started
Each paired group of teams will be provided with an opportunity to connect through an initial scheduled shared practice. This first session is designed to break the ice, build confidence, create new friendships, and establish a foundation for future interactions.
Following that first connection, we encourage teams to make the program their own. Some ideas include:
- Having older players attend practices as a “Coach for the Day”
- Organizing joint team-building activities
- Attending each other’s games and cheering one another on
- Hosting skills sessions or mini-games together
- Participating in community events as a paired group
- Creating mentorship opportunities throughout the season
There is no right or wrong way to participate. Whether your teams connect a little or a lot, our hope is that every interaction helps strengthen the sense of belonging that makes Bow Valley Hockey Society special.
What We Ask of Coaches and Team Managers
We ask that coaches and team managers connect with their assigned team early in the season, prior to their first practice to coordinate a practice plan for their initial shared practice and discuss future opportunities for collaboration.
For practices, we recommend that no more than three older players attend a younger team’s session at one time. This allows for meaningful interaction while ensuring all players on the older team have an opportunity to participate throughout the season.
While we suggest aiming for five or six mentorship opportunities over the course of the season, teams are encouraged to participate as much or as little as works for their schedules. The focus is not on meeting a quota—it is on creating positive experiences, building relationships, and having fun.
Participation in the Friends of the Flames program is not mandatory; however, we strongly encourage all teams to take advantage of this opportunity to contribute to the culture, community, and development of players across our association.
Contact Information
To make communication easy, all Head Coaches and Team Managers have been added to their respective TeamLinkt groups. Team names and contacts are listed within the Head Coaches and Managers groups, making TeamLinkt the preferred method for connecting with your assigned team and coordinating mentorship opportunities.
Together, we can continue building a hockey community where players of all ages feel supported, connected, and inspired to grow—both on and off the ice.
Please see below the list of teams that have paired up for the 2026-2027 Season.
BV Friends of the Flames Mentorship pairings: