Our beloved teachers here at Victor have their hobbies, with many in the P.E. department coaching other sports. One of the busiest names around Victor is Mr. Sousa, with Mr. Kav not far behind. These two, of the three, Victor Boys Varsity Hockey coaches are stepping back to further their connections elsewhere.
On the week of Veterans Day, I received news that two of our most well-known and adored coaches would be taking a break. I was shocked. I couldn’t imagine the team without their assistant coaches.
Already assisting both of his children’s teams, Mr. Sousa will switch from a full-time to part-time coach for the Victor boy’s varsity hockey team. Mr.Kav would resign completely but was unable to comment per leave of absence from school. I decided to talk to peers about it, hoping to find some closure.
Mr. Ferrari is the head coach and Sousa’s longtime companion. His 23 years of experience have brought connections through peers like no other, with him and Sousa maintaining an inspiring friendship through 14 seasons together. “It’s bittersweet…” he reflects, “he’s such a good friend.” Sousa’s loss will be an adjustment for everyone- especially for Ferrari who will miss seeing him on the ice every day- but he will continue to hold his place and “…be a huge asset to our program.”
While this loss is fresh, the team is well equipped for adjustments with Coach Rich and Bailey. Having experience with the team before, they stepped up to the challenge: “There will be a little bit more duties for everyone”, nonetheless, one that can be accomplished with teamwork. It’ll be painless to transition around this gap.
Sousa has arguably been the glue that keeps the team together, especially the lightheartedness that keeps students coming back. Seniors Jake Kurilovitch (number 16, offense, line 3) and Dylan Weldon (number 23, forward, line 1/2) sat down with me to voice what they loved about their mentor.
Weldon stated that Sousa brings “lots of positive energy, always has a smile on his face, and will brighten anyone’s day” while Kurilovitch added, “he brought people up, never down, which everyone on the team needed to get better at.”
Putting the team before themselves was something Sousa worked hard on, focusing on creating a better team culture.
He motivated them to win and kept them going in the same direction. It’ll be a different adjustment for the guys as the season progresses considering “…everyone has built such strong relationships with him”, Weldon expressed, solidifying Sousa’s position was nothing but impactful.
Sousa mirrors this when asked what he’ll miss most about coaching: “I’ll definitely miss the locker room… [and] being on the bench ‘cause there’s a lot of excitement.” His words shift to his players as he considers them, reflecting,“I’ll miss the day to day, getting the fist bumps, [and] the camaraderie…”
Yet this surrender is unfortunate, he’s excited to gain time with his family. Having so much running around between teams he can finally relax: “I missed quite a bit, especially my daughter’s team.. The coaching schedule is pretty demanding. It was a lot to balance.”
With more free time he’s able to attend more practices and games of his children and take the workload off of his wife. He doesn’t want to be half there anymore, instead fully present and engaged with his loved ones. “It was a tough decision because I love everything Victor Hockey [has to offer]”, but he continues to make time for his favorite team.
