Ted Nolan: the power of belief

Ted Nolan watches his two sons- Brandon, 32, and Jordan, 26- address a group of youth who have assembled for a career fairat theSimon Jacob Memorial Education Center in Webequie First Nation.

Nolan beams with a father's pride. Those are his boys, teaching life lessons to a group of kids who have so much to learn, who have so much potential, but as the former NHL coach knows, live in a world that stacks the odds against them.

The Power of Belief

The three Nolans played in the National Hockey League- Jordan with the L.A. Kings, Brandon with Carolina, and Ted as a coach with the Buffalo Sabres- and are accustomed to loud, raucous hockey arenas and passionate, vociferous hockey fans.

So to a casual observer, flying 540 km north of Thunder Bay to a community of 1,000 may seem like an excessive distance to travel for a career fair.

But for Ted, the opportunity to reach these youth of Webequie serves a greater purpose. This journey gives Ted the opportunity to instill the lessons thathaveallowed him to overcome adversity and achieve such a high level of personal success.

As those who have played, trained, or been raised by the former coach know, Ted Nolan preaches the power of belief.

Nolan grew up in Garden River First Nation, outside Sault Ste. Marie., Ont. and headmits it wasn't easy.

"We had our first bathroom when I was 16 years of age," he says, "we had a wood stove in the winter, and we often went to school hungry."

Even winter clothing was difficult to come by, says Nolan.

"I can remember tying two socks together for a toque."

Nolan learned to work with what was available

Hockey was an outlet for the young Nolan, although his home didn't have much to offer in return.

"You learn to work with what you had," he says, "so I made my own rink. I grabbed a pail and went back and forth and made a rink in the backyard."

"I believed if I did the right thing, maybe good things would happen," Nolan says.

Superior Morning10:17Ted Nolan - Webequie Visit

The legendary hockey coach Ted Nolan and his sons Brendan and Jordan visited Webequie First Nation. Ted talks about that trip.

It was in 1976 that a 16-year old Nolan played for the Kenora Thistles, and learned another of his life-long lessons.

"At the time [Kenora] wasn't a friendly place."

Nolan says he often had to deal with physical violence both at school and at the rink. One of Nolan's friends playing for the Thistles was also First Nations, and quit the team and moved back home because of the pressures.

"I didn't like my environment, I was crying myself to sleep," he says.

It was so bad, Nolan says, his family intervened.

"My two brothers came to town and said 'We're bringing you home."

If I quit now,then the next tough situation I'll quit again.- Ted Nolan

That could have been the end of the line for Nolan. But after he made the choice to stay in Kenora, he wrote a letter to his brothers explaining his decision.

"If I quit now," he wrote, "then the next tough situation I'll quit again."

It's a statement of belief he's carried with him to this day.

Make a habit of 'sticking it out.'

"I tell kids to make a habit of sticking it out."

It's not a secret to anyone who has followed Nolan's career that there have been a steady stream of ups and downs. A dramatic playoff run in Buffalo, N.Y., was overshadowed by outbursts from his All-Star goalie. There was an incident in Chicoutimi, Que, where the belligerence of racist fans left Nolan shaken and demoralized.

A lesser person would have crumbled. But Nolan always turns to what he learned as a youth. It's what you believe that determines your success.

"When I was 18, I was only 150 pounds soaking wet," he says.

"I didn't train, I didn't even know how."

Once he gained the knowledge, he easily applied it. In Garden Riverthere were no gyms or treadmills, so Nolan ran hills. There were no balancing beams, so he balanced along railroad tracks. He built muscle by chopping trees. But his belief in himself always was the deciding factor.

"The biggest thing for me was I believed I could," he says.

"And I think back to that time I was a 16 year old in Kenora," he says,"What if I had quit? Who knows what would have happened."