With the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation’s 2025 Community Opportunity Grant application window currently open until June 5, this feature showcases the ongoing impact made by a program from the Nepean Nighthawks Field Hockey Club, which received a past grant from the Foundation.
Sandeep Chopra co-founded the Nepean Nighthawks Field Hockey Club over 20 years ago and has helped a number of players compete at the top international levels, but he says the Stick Together program is the best thing the club has ever done.
Stick Together provides free registration, equipment and transportation for local Indigenous youth.
Chopra has seen the positive influence the program has made on participating players, on coaching development and on the club’s own community and culture.
Field Hockey Canada developed the program in response to one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action – to reduce sport participation barriers.
The Nighthawks immediately jumped at the opportunity to implement the program and have since become the country’s largest, while sharing their experiences with others seeking to start similar programs.
“We were the first and now it’s expanded. It’s pretty unbelievable seeing the impact that this program can bring to all these communities across Canada,” Chopra highlights. “It’s such a great enhancement to our whole atmosphere. We’re really happy that we got involved, and we’re so happy to see how it’s grown.”
During Stick Together’s infancy, the Nighthawks received $2,000 from the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation’s 2023 Community Opportunity Grant. Chopra notes that the grant provided necessary funds, but also helped provide recognition for the initiative, which has since allowed it to grow and obtain funding from other sources.
“Once we did it, all these people started coming to us and were asking, ‘how do you do this?’ and ‘what can we do to help?’” recalls Chopra, who received the Mayor’s Cup for Outstanding Contribution to Sport in Ottawa earlier this year from the Ottawa Sports Awards, which also gave Stick Together its annual Ottawa Sports Endowment prize.
The Nighthawks have worked alongside the Wabano Centre and the Aboriginal Sport Circle to spread the word to families about the program, which is now one of roughly 30 across Canada to receive funding to support marginalized communities.
Stick Together has also spurred ideas and action on how to welcome new Canadians and underserved communities, including the development of Special Olympics and walking hockey programs to include all abilities, which the club hopes to launch later this season or next.
The Nighthawks are now creating a website to help all Stick Together programs connect and access resources, with the potential to attract joint sponsorship or funding.
After receiving the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation’s grant, the Nighthawks have continued to obtain support from the OSC’s grant delivery partner Their Opportunity, which has covered registration fees for several players.
The Ottawa Senators Foundation and Participaction have also provided funding, tech company Decisive Group came on a sponsor, and anonymous private donors have contributed as well.
And the Nighthawks will soon be unveiling a significant new funder that’s allowed them to clear the program’s waitlist and will offer ongoing support.
“It’s terrible to see that kids don’t have money for shoes or a way to get to the field,” states Nepean club head coach Brendan Goddard. “It was really tough seeing kids who you knew wanted to play, and they couldn’t make it because they couldn’t get funding. But it’s awesome that we’re now able to give them that opportunity.”
Goddard feels a special connection to Stick Together. He grew up in Barrhaven, but has official Indigenous status himself since his mom is Ojibwe.
“My great grandmother was in a residential school, taken away from her family, off the reserve, and then my grandma wasn’t really taught any traditional Indigenous practices,” recounts the Algonquin College electrical engineering technician graduate.
Goddard says Stick Together has allowed him to reconnect with his own Indigenous roots. He’s researched more history and completed Aboriginal Coaching Module training with other club coaches, and has built connections from his interactions with players.
“It’s pretty neat. I’m the one who’s instructing the players on the field, but I’m also learning from them at the same time,” Goddard explains. “It’s really great to see that we’re able to bring all these Indigenous kids in to play, and learning about their culture, and having their culture as part of our field hockey community.
“It’s fantastic. I absolutely love the program, and so far, every single kid has been amazing to coach.”
A Nepean field hockey player since age 9, Goddard has played for both Ontario and Quebec at national championships and he travelled to France as a member of the Canadian U16 development team.
At St. Joseph Catholic High School, he competed in volleyball, cross-country running, baseball, ultimate and ice hockey, which he also played competitively with the Nepean Raiders.
Goddard has helped train Nighthawks athletes for over four years, and Nepean minor hockey initiation program players for many more years before that.
New to his head coach role this season, Goddard has gained an appreciation for all the work done in the background that wouldn’t be evident when looking at the program in action, like making sure players have shoes, sticks and transportation.
Seeing players’ engagement and enthusiasm grow has been Goddard’s favourite aspect of Stick Together, and the sense of belonging that’s a trademark of the tight-knit field hockey community.
That was especially evident at a recent tournament in Kingston, where a majority of the Nighthawks on the U12 team were Stick Together players.
“The young kids at the tournament, none of them really knew each other super well, but then once they spend the weekend together, you see them all get along off the field, playing mini-sticks on the side, and then you see them perform on the field, and cheering for each other,” Goddard illustrates. “Just seeing those bonds get built is the best part. That’s honestly my favourite part about coaching.”
Goddard has seen strong connections form among the Stick Together players since they often travel to the field together, but the sense of unity was evident among all team members at the away tournament.
“They’ve all definitely grown together,” he underlines. “Whether they’re Stick Together kids or just kids signing up for the Nighthawks, they all get along really well.
“It’s just amazing. The kids are so happy and it’s so great to see them out there.”
