Bernie Fratto

Speaking
of
Sports 

by
Bernie 
Fratto

The End of One Era…
The Beginning of Another

4/17/06

Within hours of each other, literally, two events took place last week that will forever change the landscape of Novi Wildcat Hockey.

Coaches Dan Phelps, John Smith, and Dennis Gagnon announced they would be moving on to take over the coaching duties of the Junior B Michigan Ice Dogs. Meanwhile, Coach John Smith’s newly formed Novi HS Varsity Inline Hockey team skated to a 7-3 victory over Howell in their inaugural game.

After a hectic tryout featuring over 40 hopefuls, and just two practices, Novi Hockey is back at it, even if it was almost 80 degrees outside.

The story of Novi Hockey is one of grit, determination, and perseverance. Coach Phelps made over 40 phone calls to then Athletic Director John Fundukian in the hopes of getting his foot in the door. And even after the program was born, issues like ice time, team facilities, equipment and uniforms, and of course, building a roster were major undertakings.

They did more than just build a roster. They’ve built a program that in just 8 short years has become recognized as one of the premier organizations in the state, capturing KVC Titles, Regional Championships, Frozen Four appearances and producing athletes capable of competing on the next level…on the ice and in the game of life.

Novi Hockey is like a large, extended family. Everybody did their part, and no one worried about who got the credit. In fact, to keep the record straight, I received many emails making sure that Chris Renner and Amy Carroll deserved major props for their role as ambassadors in making sure Novi Hockey got off the ground.

It’s my understanding that Chris Renner lobbied long and hard back in 1998 so that Novi Hockey could become a reality. Additionally, Amy Carroll is a hard working active supporter of the Inline program, and she serves as the AAU Inline hockey rep for the entire state of Michigan.

As Coach Smith says, “Without them, we wouldn’t be here.”

Nothing lasts forever, but Novi Hockey lives on and the memories created in the last 8 years will live eternally in the hearts and minds of those who marvel at the legacy left.

Can’t wait to see what the next 8 years holds…

(c) 2006 Novi Information Network
www.novi.org

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Bernie Fratto is a freelance writer, radio personality, and motivational speaker.  His passion for sports comes in part from his experience as a former Cincinnati Red farm- hand.  "Behind every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real human beings" said Fratto.  "These athletic endeavors often serve as a metaphor for the game we call life."

Bernie is also on the broadcast team at Live 97.1FM talk-radio, and is a frequent co-host on the popular "Parker & The Man Show," a nightly sportstalk show which airs Monday-Friday from 7-11pm.