Smiles, laughter and pure joy. The first time getting on the ice for anyone
who loves the game quickly becomes a core memory. But for Auren Halbert, it
was so much more.
“It was the first time I'd ever had a competitive outlet, and to be among
other people with similar disabilities, it was just incredible,” says the
22-year-old, who was born without a femur in his left leg.
Playing at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship on home ice in Calgary
is special for Auren. He played the preliminary round in front a sizeable
contingent of family and friends, most with a direct connection to the
Calgary Sledge Hockey Association (CSHA), the launching point of his
career.
“We've had a great run of Team Canada men’s players that have come through
our organization: Cody Dolan, Zach Lavin, Auren and Adam Kingsmill,” says
Alan Halbert, president of the CSHA and proud dad to Auren. “But we're not
here to build everybody into Team Canada players, we’re here to build
people into the best versions of themselves.
“We just want to go out and have fun.”
The CSHA has had a presence in the Stampede City since the 1980s, but has
grown from about 20 players to more than 80 since officially incorporating
in 2011, with more than 20 coaches and volunteers giving support. There are
programs for players of any age, skill and ability level.
Teams are divided by age and skill level, with players under 18 years old
making up the junior team (Venom) before graduating to the intermediate
team (Stingers), though high-performance athletes may transition through
the levels more quickly. The senior team (Scorpions) is the highest level
available and competes provincially or even nationally.
The senior team wasn’t always the powerhouse it has developed into, and a
decade ago Alan had to learn the sport himself to help with the roster.
“At that time, I was naïve. I was like ‘Can I play? It’s kind of a
disability sport.’ But now everybody is in there, it’s so inclusive,” he
explains, adding that he has seen teams built as able-bodied friends and
family support a loved-one with a disability.
“He started a couple years after I did and at first he was definitely a
better player than I was,” Auren says of his dad with a laugh. “That
definitely helped with my competitiveness; I just had to prove to my dad
that I was a better player than he was.”
While there is no question the younger Halbert has become the stronger of
the two, it is the dedication of Alan and his wife, Ashley, to the CSHA
that has had a major impact on his own commitment to the game.
“It’s honestly unbelievable the amount of effort [my parents] have put into
the organization,” Auren says. “It’s just super awesome to be able to have
such good support in the city.
“It’s pretty inspiring to see how passionate [my parents] are about this.”
Alan has held just about every role within the association: athlete, coach,
board member and treasurer. He took on the presidency in 2017 but shortly
after was relocated to Pittsburgh for work. With no one else interested in
the position, he remained at the helm, working remotely long before that
was the norm. Seven years later, Alan is still president and continues to
look for ways to grow the CSHA.
“We are kind of on the forefront of always trying to expand the sport, not
only within Calgary, but we help a lot of the surrounding areas and
provinces as well,” Alan explains. “We have a really great rapport with a
lot of teams that we were playing as Auren was growing up, and they were
just creating their programs… so they wanted to do something and we're
there to help them or just to play.”
Auren also remains active with the CSHA, practicing and sometimes playing
with the senior team. He also hopes to help with a summer camp this year
“just to get out and teach people what I know.”
But first, the young defenceman has to close out his fifth season with
Canada’s National Para Hockey Team with his fourth Para Worlds, in the same
rink where he saw Team Canada play for the first time 13 years ago.
“In Auren’s first season, we kind of got going, hit the ground running and
within a couple of months the World Sledge Hockey Challenge was [in
Calgary],” Alan remembers. “I think he ended up on the ice as a
flag-bearer, so got really exposed and that fueled his fire from a young
age.
“It’s kind of come full circle.”
Auren knows this Para Worlds is his opportunity to create that same drive
in a young athlete and bring new fans to the game. And while that motivates
his play, he is eager to put on a show for the people who have supported
him from the beginning.
“I think it'll be the first time a lot of my family have seen me play at
this level, so it’s going to be pretty meaningful to be able to show them
all I can do,” Auren says. “To have people I know in the stands and to know
that they're all cheering for me and maybe hear a couple chants from them
in the crowd… this will definitely be one of the greatest moments of all
time for me.”