You can’t say Adam Sherlip doesn’t love hockey. He used to work for the New York Islanders in the team’s charity division and has spent time coaching in China and India.
“Sports are an incredible avenue to affect change,” says Sherlip. “It’s a great way to bond people from around the world. The Olympics and the World Cup exist to encourage diplomacy and social change through sport.”
Sherlip’s passion for the sport and desire to improve people’s lives inspired him to found The Hockey Foundation. This nonprofit provides equipment, coaches, and training and tournament programs for underprivileged communities throughout the world. According to Sherlip, the organization uses the power of sports to empower children and create bonds between people of different backgrounds.
Founder: Adam Sherlip
Year founded: 2009
Employees: All volunteers
Where we’re based: Montreal’s WeWork Place Ville Marie
Moment of inspiration: “During my trip to the Himalayas, there were multiple times that I realized how different life can be,” says Sherlip. “They had little electricity, plumbing, and heat, but still had such a rich culture. They wanted to be better at hockey, and we immediately bonded. It was the common denominator even though we came from such different backgrounds.”
Biggest hurdle: “At the end of the day, I’d like nothing more than to be doing the programing,” says Sherlip. “But the reality is that because I’m running the organization, I need to spend more time making sure the organization grows and can sustain itself. It’s bittersweet, but necessary for us to make the impact we want.”
How we want to change the world: “While hockey is not as popular globally as soccer, we think it is the best sport because of the nature of the game,” says Sherlip. “We’re trying to help make a difference with a sport that we love and we think has a lot of ability to teach life lessons that a lot of sports don’t.”