The second recipient of the $1,000 John Reid Memorial Scholarship was overjoyed by his good fortune.
“It means the world to me because I knew Mr. Reid personally. He was one of my coaches and one of my best friends is Brady, his son,” said Joshua Maeda, a graduate of St. Albert Catholic High School. “Not only is it great to get a scholarship, but to get one where I know the person and it’s a memorial scholarship, that’s just amazing.”
Maeda, 18, learned what heart and hustle was all about when coached by Reid in hockey and lacrosse.
“He made me a better player,” said the Grant MacEwan University student who is enrolled in a police and security studies course.
The scholarship is open to all St. Albert hockey players aged 21 or younger who have played hockey in St. Albert for a minimum of three years, including a season with the Sabres. Applicants must be attending a recognized post-secondary education institution. They also have to write a 250-word paper on what playing bantam AAA in St. Albert meant to them.
The scholarship was established by the parent group of the 2004/05 St. Albert Sabres as a way to give back to the community. It challenges players to grow academically into being well-educated contributing members of society in the same way Reid contributed to the St. Albert sports scene as a mentor and coach, while at the same time displaying a positive attitude.
The inaugural winner was Justin Kueber of the 2004/05 Sabres.
Maeda started playing hockey in Regina before moving to St. Albert in Grade 4, when he made a novice B1 team. A versatile forward adept at either wing, he wrapped up his last season in St. Albert by winning a provincial midget AA championship with the 2009 Crusaders on home ice at Akinsdale Arena.
“It was definitely good to get that in my last year of minor hockey in St. Albert,” Maeda said. “It’s a great organization for any young kid that likes hockey. It’s organized well and they don’t emphasize a ton of competitiveness. It’s more of the fun of the game in St. Albert.”
In midget AA he was the third-highest-scoring Crusader with 42 points in 32 games, highlighted by a team-leading 26 goals.
“I was definitely a grinder for sure,” said Maeda, who recorded seven goals and nine assists in 24 games with the Sabres in 2005/06. “I tended to lead by example. I wasn’t vocal at all or didn’t beak other players on other teams.”
Maeda hasn’t forgot his hockey roots and is currently serving as an assistant coach with the atom A St. Albert Thunder.
“I definitely want to coach in St. Albert for as long as I can. This year is my first year coaching and I definitely will next year and in the years to come if I’m still in the area.”
Hockey is what makes Maeda tick. He lives and breathes the sport.
“It’s part of being Canadian; Canadian boys playing Canadian hockey,” he said. “It’s a great game. It’s winter here eight to nine months of the year so you go and play some hockey and have fun.”
