Get to know Coach Hai
“Witnessing the joy on children’s faces while they received accolades from their appreciative parents bolstered my newfound passion.”
My love for sports and fitness started at a young age and it stems from my upbringing. My parents were Vietnamese immigrants that struggled to raise four boys with only the bare essentials. They worked tirelessly to provide for us, trying to make ends meet which meant they couldn’t afford toys, games or sports equipment. My brothers and I learned to have fun with nothing; it allowed us to embrace our imagination, whether it was building forts with kitchen chairs or playing hand soccer with rolled-up socks. Spraying the drive way on a cold day to create a make shift ice hockey rink. We made it work. After countless basement rentals, we stumbled upon a home where the owners let us use their outdoor hockey equipment and that’s where my love for sports began. Memorable hockey games in the alley with family friends and neighbours, screams and cheers can be heard all around. But my fondest memory is when I was five and my father picked me up from school. I challenged him to race me in the gravel field and he agreed. It all but lasted five seconds due to his smoking habits but the memory will stay with me forever because unbeknownst to me would be the last time he would ever run.
At nineteen, my life had no direction. I was friends with the wrong crowd and was working at a grocery store with no opportunities for growth. A pivotal moment spurred me to alter my life following the loss of a friend. While enrolling in college to pursue kinesiology, I decided to get a part time job which unexpectedly changed the course of my life. This job was to run sport programs for children. I was definitely out of my comfort zone without any experience working with children and a fear of public speaking. But after a few weeks, I loved every bit of being a coach. Witnessing the joy on children’s faces while they received praise from their parents bolstered my newfound passion. I ended up working ten years for the company and am so grateful for the opportunity given to me. I’ve been fortunate enough to have met amazing coaches and families throughout my career that impacted me more than they know.
My goal is to make a difference in the lives of children. Provide a fun and positive environment for them to grow as individuals with the hopes of creating lasting memories. I may be a small business and have no idea how far this will go but I hope to make big impact in the community. Thank you for reading and being apart of my journey.
