A Bit About Dirk- The Kraft "Hockey Goes On" Nomination
You won't find Dirk Wolterbeek at home evenings and weekends during hockey season. You will have to check out the local rink where he's been coaching since 1971. In fact during the week-long world-famous Goderich Lion's Pee Wee Young Canada Week (YCW), you can assume that Dirk and his wife Mary have taken up almost 24-hour residence at the arena- where they have prepared meals for Pee Wee hockey players from across Canada for the last thirty years. That's over 35000 meals to date!
Dirk's connection with YCW goes back to 1962 as a young tournament winner. Yes, Dirk was a 'wannabe NHLer' like other young players, but after a stint as a minor-aged Junior B and on a couple Junior A teams, he returned to start his life-long coaching traditions. He marrie...d his best friend, Mary O'Brien in 1970, after which he did get a chance to play briefly at a Maple Leaf Junior camp, but returned home to resume family and coaching roles.
Dirk and Mary met the challenge to nurture their first child, Bridget, handicapped with Spina Bifida, and raised hockey playing son Dirk! It was Bridget's needs, and that early connection to the Lions' Easter Seals, that led the Wolterbeeks to their lifelong service to YCW.
Dirk supported the local goalie school in the 80's, for three years as an assistant coach, and then 12 more as the head coach, all while coaching another team as well. Recently Dirk has coached his grandsons, but this was interrupted, regretfully, by kidney failure that required a rigorous dialysis routine for half a year. Not to be waylaid, by 2010-2011, he re-joined his son behind the bench to coach his namesake grandson in the very Lions YCW he won in 1962.
Dirk and Mary have become a tournament tradition, and have received local and widespread recognition for their home-cooked meals. As far as Dirk is concerned, "Hockey is our passion and our lifestyle!" For the Wolterbeeks, home, hockey and community are tightly bound!
We are excited to host this tournament and we hope your team will join us in December!