Wheaton committed to enhancing lives of local youth

He has played, coached, refereed, managed, served on the executive and held the presidency of the Sackville Minor Hockey Club (SMHC) for six years; in other words, David Wheaton has done just about everything to enhance opportunities for young boys and girls to enjoy good clean competition.
But David Wheaton believes he is merely doing what any person who has had the experience of playing in the system should do -- give back something as part payment for the lessons learned and enjoyment received.
David began his first organized hockey at the peewee level with the dean of local coaches -- Dr. Ross Barclay -- and continued through bantam and chose midget and juvenile over playing with the Titans. Later he spent a couple of years with the Combines as they won the Memramcook Valley League championship.
After a fairly long break, he returned to the sport when his son Nick became involved as a player and has been involved since 1993, serving in almost every capacity within the organization.
As a player, he was with a provincial champion midget team and later coached at the mites, novice, atom, bantam and midget levels, filling in where needed.
Following graduation from Tantrramar Regional High in 1976, David became employed with the CBC and has completed 33 years at the nearby Radio Canada International network.
He has two children and two step-children and says it has taken a good deal of support from Cynthia in order for him to have devoted so much time and energy on hockey.
"She has taken a myriad of phone calls and been fantastic in assisting me, especially while I served as president," he says. "It would be impossible to do it alone."
David still serves as referee-in-chief and is on call for other duties, often serving as manager or coach, but he prefers to remain off the executive, at least for a few years.
Recalling his younger days as a player, he mentions friends like Colin Wheaton, Eric Sloan and Terry Connon. And he says the late David Sears was a player who could keep the dressing room "in stitches" even when the going was tough.
He recalls the team that took the provincial title with the late Don Fillmore as coach and also some fine tutelage from Gerry Bartlett over the years.
He joined coach Gary Wiley with the Combines for a couple of years as they won a league title in 1984 with such team leaders as Stephen Bowes, Peter Hastie, Brian and Mike Mitton and Gordie Steeves; but he recalls that goalie Tim Long was the glue that kept things moving. After that, he played gentlemen"s hockey for a few years but his return to the minor system has just about used up any spare time.
Just this past season, he was involved as manager of the provincial champion peewee team with coach Andrew Morrison.
Like so many people of his era, David learned to skate and picked up some hockey skills on the lakes and ponds around Sackville -- a feature that appears to be absent in recent times.
He says the biggest thrill of his playing career came when his midget team took the provincial crown, but a second memorable occasion came in 2006 when he was the recipient of a grant of $10,000 from RBC which was turned over to the SMHC for enhancement of the program.
"There are 13 recipients of the award each year," he says, "and obviously I was lucky to be one of them that year."
The financial award goes to outstanding volunteers in minor hockey and he says Kirby Cadman had submitted his nomination after learning of the program.
While the $10,000 was a great boost, it requires considerable fundraising to operate a program that accommodates 250 boys and girls each season. The total budget is close to $150,000 with a golf tournament and 50-50 draws accounting for a good portion. Registration fees are kept as low as possible and a policy of "no player left behind" is practiced.
Last year the association received a windfall of $35,000 from former player Carl Ward and this is expected to offer long-time improvements by allowing referees and coaches to atrtend upgrading clinics and also to have needy elite players attend summer camps.
While he has "done it all," he says Wayne Hicks has become the main hockey volunteer in Sackville and the reason he has stayed so long. David says Wayne is the longest serving member and brings a sense of reason and direction while performing a myriad of jobs -- everything from managing to fundraising and holding the role of coach recruiter.
He says there has been a recent upsurge in the number of girls playing in the system and believes it has much to do with the creation of the Lady Titans and the hope of many to ultimately join the high school team.
Asked about how officials deal with parental complaints -- ranging all the way from their son or daughter not receiving sufficient ice time to being overworked, David said that as president he fielded and responded to hundreds of complaints and queries but in the end the welfare of the players must come first. Coaches may have to deal with such problems but the executive, especially the president, has to be accountable for what happens throughout the system.
"I only wish I had gotten involved earlier," he says, "as one gets a great sense of satisfaction, personal reward if you will, from working with young people and watching as they develop and mature."
He would advise young people to try the game and then to return as an adult to provide leadership and guidance for those coming behind.
"I know I will continue as long as I can," he says, "in whatever capacity where I might be helpful. This program has a great future and it needs more good folks to become involved."