BC HOCKEY AWARDS: DEVELOPMENT AWARD - COACHING, JIM HARDINGTON
By MARIO ANNICCHIARICO
Jim Hardington has always been a big believer in teamwork, stemming from his years of teaching to becoming a principal, and even more so, with his coaching certification work with BC Hockey.
Hardington, now retired from his work in education, has been honoured with BC Hockey’s Development Award - Coaching.
“To me an individual award is a team reward, so I’m a little uncomfortable being singled out,” said Hardington. “It means more to the people around me, I think. It’s an acknowledgment that we’ve done some things right. Right from Dave Cunning to Wayne Parro to Michael Butler, who have mentored me through all this.”
It all began when he was told there’s more to hockey than just playing the game, and with his background in teaching, he should get involved in teaching the sport.
“I’m able to continue to give back to the game that’s been good to me, that’s what it (the award) means to me,” he stressed.
Hardington has been providing outstanding service to the National Coaching Certification Program and BC Hockey’s Coaching Program for more than 15 years. His credentials include certification at the High Performance 1, Development 1 and Coach 2 levels, as well as national training as a clinic facilitator and coach evaluator.
In fact, this past season alone he has completed seven Development 1 field evaluations; marked 59 Development 1 written assignments; marked 23 High Performance 1 written assignments (most of any fellow marker); served as a group leader at the 2024 High Performance 1 Seminar, mentoring a small group of HP1 certification candidate coaches; completed 11 High Performance 1 field evaluations, travelling across B.C. to multiple districts to mentor coaches through their observation; and served as a mentor for new HP1 coach evaluators in training.
“I got a few done this year and as I tell my people, failure is not an option. You may hate me by the time I get them through, but you’re going to pass,” Hardington said with a chuckle. “Some of them do hate me by then, but hey, hopefully it makes them a better coach.”
His service all began with Dave Cunning, who is now the Manager, Athlete Development for BC Hockey.
“Dave Cunning knew I was getting bored doing the instructing in Coach 1 and Coach 2 over and over, so they gave me a new challenge, knowing my background in education,” recalled Hardington. “I got involved in the high-performance certification program - marking papers, working with coaches. To me, it’s like doing a teaching report, you’re going out to make a coach a better coach like going to make a teacher a better teacher.
“I always say to the coaches, I see you as a teacher because you’re teaching the game of hockey and that’s my background. I loved every single second of it. I miss my students, my teachers, the building, I don’t miss the paperwork. I still have enough of that,” he added of his former education days.
Hardington’s love for hockey began at an early age.
“It goes back to kindergarten, where I snuck my skates to school in Princeton and skipped out of nap time to go skating on the outdoor rink. My mom (Veda), who was the head nurse in Princeton, had to come find me and found out I loved skating,” he explained.
“From there I just got involved in the game. The game has taught me some good life skills which I was able to apply to my career as an educator and that’s why I always want to give back to the game.
“It’s taught me skills from problem-solving to thinking on my feet to working with people that sometimes you don’t like. It’s been good to me and I want to give back to it.”
He continues to do so through BC Hockey and as senior scout for Lethbridge for the last 10 years after beginning his scouting days with three years of service with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.
That, too, brings him joy.
Mario Annicchiarico is a freelance writer based in Victoria who has previously covered the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers, as well as the Western Hockey League.