Former president, registrar insturmental to success
After 13 years on the Arborg Minor Hockey board, Keith Johnson was honoured for his years of service.
In 2005, Johnson’s daughter started playing hockey in Arborg, so as she aged up in the program, he decided to move on from coaching and get more involved.
In 2008, he joined the minor hockey board. After just two years, he became board president, and stayed in that role until the spring of 2020.
Johnson stayed on the board for one final year until the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the season.
The Arborg Minor Hockey board has up to 10 members at a time.
During his tenure, Johnson saw registration dates move from the fall months to June, so the region could get its numbers in sooner and avoid late registrations.
As president, he then took those numbers to Interlake Minor Hockey, which used them to create leagues and game schedules. Those meetings, and ones like it, were Johnson’s favourite part of being on the board.
“I enjoyed seeing the organizations and seeing what’s involved,” he said. “You sit beside someone different at each meeting…I liked getting to make those relationships.”
Johnson also spent his time on the board ensuring each game had timekeepers and referees, the ice was paid for, uniforms were paid for and that everything went as smoothly as it could.
“You try to keep it very affordable for the young players,” he added. “So, you have as much participation as possible.
Johnson knows Arborg Minor Hockey wouldn’t exist without community participation and support. Local businesses sponsoring teams and parents volunteering to coach made the seasons possible, he said.
Now that Johnson has been off the board for a couple years, he can reflect fondly at his time at its helm. Though any organization goes through peaks and valleys, registration in Arborg has remained fair since Johnson was president, and he said seeing those numbers remain proves to him he did a good job.
“That gives you good satisfaction because you were involved for those two years or more and keeping things rolling at that time… you get a bigger sense of satisfaction seeing it stay strong and have some vitality and energy,” he said.
Arborg Minor Hockey also honoured Krista Borgfjord for her nine years as registrar on the board. The 2022/23 season will be her last one.
