Above: Larocque brought lessons in goal setting to Jarvis Public School.

A Gold Medal Lesson in Leadership at Jarvis Public School 

MONDAY, OCT. 24, 2022

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hen Jocelyne Larocque first started playing hockey in the small town of Ste. Anne, Manitoba, she dreamed about being in the NHL. 
“I was told by everybody, ‘That can’t be a dream of yours because women don’t play in the NHL.’” 

Above: Larocque with Claire and Morgan, who are in Grade 7 students at Jarvis Public School.

But when she was 9 years old, women’s hockey made its debut as an Olympic sport, and the dream just shifted a little. With a strong work ethic and the passion to commit to the sport she loved, she’d eventually find herself as a member of Team Canada – the first athlete of Métis heritage to participate in women’s ice hockey at that level – and today counts two gold medals and one silver medal among her achievements.  

It wasn’t an easy path, however, and that was the message she brought to students at Jarvis Public School on Thursday. She recounts trying out for a team for the first time, and making the B team instead the A team. 

“Life is about living and learning, and getting a little bit better every day,” said Larocque, whose parents challenged her at the time to identify where there was room for improvement, and to put a plan in place to get there. “That’s the basis of goal setting – you always have control over your work ethic and your attitude, and it’s your choice how you view the setbacks.” 

In Jarvis, a town about the same size as the one Larocque grew up in, the receptive audience had lots of questions about hockey, leadership, teamwork and following your passion. 

“I learned today that you should never give up on your dreams,” said Claire, a Grade 7 student at Jarvis Public School, who plays hockey and donned a Haldimand Rivercats jersey. 

Grand Erie’s multi-year strategic plan has a mission to build a culture of learning, well-being and belonging to inspire each learner. Larocque’s presentation at Jarvis Public School certainly met that mission.