Officials selected for 2024 U SPORTS championships

Once Ali Beres units her sights on a aim, she’s going to probably accomplish
it.

Switching from ringette to hockey to transitioning to officiating after her
U SPORTS hockey profession and embracing different athletic pursuits, Beres’
willpower retains her chasing new targets.

“I’m lucky to have athletics be a huge part of my life growing up,” says
the 27-year-old. “I really feel very lucky to be concerned in sports activities and on the
stage that I’m with the alternatives I’ve had.”

Growing up in Lions Bay, B.C., about half-hour from Vancouver, Beres and
her sister Maegan performed ringette as there have been no ladies’ hockey applications.
When she was 13 years previous, she switched to hockey, desiring to play on the
college stage.

Transitioning from ringette to hockey required Beres to study new expertise,
together with stickhandling and capturing the puck.

“When I switched from enjoying ringette to hockey, there was a talent and
information hole,” she says.

A coach advised her that she was behind her friends at that age and possibly
shouldn’t hassle, however her drive led her to take part in talent growth
camps and capturing 200 pucks within the household storage so she would have the ability to
play.

“I keep in mind that dialog with this coach after I was 14 years previous. That
second formed me and who I’m in the present day,” says Beres. “It taught me that should you
need one thing badly and you set within the effort and arduous work and you’ve got
the willpower, you may nonetheless obtain your targets. Most importantly, to
by no means quit on one thing you like.”

That love and keenness led her on a profitable hockey path, together with
enjoying for B.C. on the 2013 National Women’s Under-18 Championship and
varsity hockey at Western University in London, Ontario, the place she received a U
SPORTS nationwide title in 2015, a silver medal at nationals and two Ontario
University Athletics (OUA) championships.

As Beres completed her college profession, she thought of what would come
subsequent. She knew she needed to remain concerned within the recreation and leaned on an
facet of the sport she used to take part in – officiating.

“I wasn’t prepared to only hold up the skates and name it quits after my U
SPORTS profession. The rink has been part of my life since I used to be three,” she
says. “As quickly as the ultimate recreation ended, it was so emotional. I knew after
that I used to be going to should get a job and that I wasn’t going to be enjoying
anymore. I remembered that I cherished officiating rising up.”

Beres determined she needed to placed on a brand new jersey, play on a brand new staff and see
the place officiating may take her. After graduating, she obtained re-certified in
Ontario.

“I simply stored skating a lot of video games with so many various individuals and video games
as attainable and study as a lot as I may,” she says. “I noticed so many individuals
forward of me in this system and noticed all their accomplishments and telling my
mentors that these are the assignments that I’d like to tackle.”

Since transitioning to officiating, Beres has had the chance to
take part within the Hockey Canada Officials Program of Excellence (OPOE),
which is a efficiency pathway for officers to succeed in their high-level
targets.

Since then, she has been a linesperson at some vital occasions,
together with the 2014 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship (Division 1B) and the
Professional Women’s Hockey League Battle on Bay Street recreation between Toronto
and Montreal earlier this yr.

“I’m grateful to have had so many opportunities through officiating,” says
Beres. “What I like about officiating is that you simply’re nonetheless a part of the sport.
It’s intense … there’s strain in your shoulders and also you’re nonetheless competing
as an athlete. It is our job to ensure the sport is performed honest and
protected.”

Beres wouldn’t have the ability to stability life as an answer engineer with a
procurement firm, officiating and competing in triathlons with out the
help system of her household, notably Maegan.

“We are best friends and we’ve always been competitive,” she mentioned. “We’ve
all the time tried to push one another. Our mother and father instilled strong values in us.
While we have been aggressive, we additionally supported one another, and figuring out that
one another’s successes doesn’t imply the opposite isn’t profitable.”

Like Ali, Maegan had hockey aspirations that she was decided to attain.
She performed NCAA hockey for Boston College and with the Toronto Six of the
Premier Hockey Federation, and received a silver medal with Canada on the 2017 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

“We’ve all the time been tremendous shut, and he or she changed into such a giant position mannequin
for me and being the youthful sister, you form of idolize your large sister,”
says Maegan. “When I had lots of success in my hockey profession, she was one
of the closest individuals to me and I all the time leaned on her for recommendation and
help.”

Being athletically match is vital to remain at high-level hockey tempo, however
it additionally helps Ali keep mentally recent and wholesome and in a position to stability her
skilled profession as nicely. Outside of officiating, Ali competes in
triathlons, a sport she shortly fell in love with.

“The gamers are giving 100 per cent, so we’d like to have the ability to match that
and provides it our all too. I used to be a little bit bored of the health club, so I needed to
push my athletic consolation zone, so I signed up for an Ironman 70.3 (additionally
often known as a half-Ironman) and I obtained actually addicted,” Ali says.

As Ali continues to set targets for herself – together with officiating on the
Olympics, her sister is aware of her drive is what is going to get her there.

“Once she has a glimpse of that aim, I simply know she’s going to do the whole lot in
her energy to get there and attain it,” says Maegan. “I’m very happy with
her and what she’s completed and seeing her transition from her enjoying
profession in hockey into officiating. I’m excited to see the place this journey
takes her.”