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 Esteem Team speaker Joe Dragon, right, demonstrates how he tags baby polar bears as a wildlife biologist while speaking with Weledeh students Emma Welsh, left, and J.J. Gardiner. Jaime Taras of the B.C. Lions is pretending to be a tranquilized mother bear while Devin Howse, standing, plays the role of the other wildlife biologist. - Erin Fletcher/NNSL photo |
Last week, Fort Smith's Esteem Team member, Joe Dragon, a former Pittsburgh Penguins hockey player and a GNWT wildlife biologist, made an impressionable presentation at William McDonald and Weledeh Catholic schools.
The Esteem Team is Canada's first role model program. It aims to connect Olympic and world-class athletes with Canadian youth through dramatic presentations.
Each Sport North sponsored presentation focused on goal setting, staying in school, promoting an active, healthy lifestyle and overcoming obstacles.
Dragon entranced his young audience at Weledeh with interactive story telling last Thursday afternoon. He had them pretend to be polar bears, buffalos and wildlife biologists while he explained the fun and hazards of his job.
But the fun wasn't without a message.
"Make sure you stay in school and work hard at your dreams," he said.
The key to success is to have a dream, go in little steps and make sure you work hard at school, said Dragon.
"And when you do those things really neat things can happen."
Although Dragon's dream was to become a star hockey player -- he played with the Penguins for two years from 1992 to 1994 -- he continued to stay in school and get a university degree.
He recalled his parents telling him "make sure you get your education because you never know when hockey is going to end."
In the end, both his dreams came true.
