Biography:

Kyle Marks was a member of one of the greatest teams in CBHA History. The BC Aastros. He was not the fastest of players, but displayed very dangerous offensive skills. He was part of the vaunted Aastros power play, and was a pivotal table setter of the whole dangerous operation. As a forward a defenceman had to be aware exactly where this very dangerous marksmen would position himself. He could hurt both as a sniper and also with his visionary passing. He joins his close friend and hall of fame linemate Steve Baker, and now Val Dion as one of the three BC players who have been recognized as some of the greatest ball hockey players our country has produced.

Marks always rose to the occasion at Nationals and also was part of other BC teams that made substantial contribution to the Nationals. The CBHA is proud to induct Kyle Marks to the CBHA Hall of Fame and below you will find his thoughts and insights about his ballhockey journey.

Interview:

1. How did you find the game of ball hockey?
A couple of friends I played ice hockey with suggested the game of ball hockey. I gave it a shot and took an immediate liking to the game. Ball hockey and ice hockey appear similar on the surface but it's really like playing two very different games. I started playing with the Richmond OV's and after a couple of years, started playing with the New Westminster Aastros.

2. You were a skilled forward. What skills did you pride yourself on as a player?
I felt I was the type of player who could see the floor well and who could also be a threat to score. Certainly didn't win any sprinting contests so I had to rely more on playing a smarter controlled game.

3. What would you say to a young player who wants to excel in ball hockey. What advice would you give them?
Always remain aware that it takes a cohesive team effort to achieve success, as in most sports. The best teams I played on were close-knit and each individual was as important as the next in working towards achieving success. As far as individual excellence goes, while skill goes a long way, hard work and determination are particularly important in ball hockey. It's summer, it's hot outside and it's easy to lose focus. Once the game is over, enjoy the rest of it with your buddies!

And if a veteran teammate pulls ya over to the side boards and teaches ya how to shoot, don't turn yer nose up, rather appreciate the pointers. It's just the nature of alot of these guys that play the game, just trying to help the youngsters (inside joke!!)

And oh yeh, I realize this is something that for the most part, ya either have or ya don't have but work on your speed, you'll need it!!

4. Kyle you played on one of the great teams that never won the Nationals. What can you tell us about the Aastros and playing on that team?
The Aastros - oh boy - where to start!! It was an unbelievable summer, every summer, playing with those guys. The one thing that still amazes me when I reflect on those years is the ability those guys had of showing such a high level of commitment and skill, all the while having the greatest time doing it. We were such a tight group through the successful years and the jokes and laughs were never-ending. Boy, did those guys have the ability to take the game to another level when it came time to do so.

I would like to take this opportunity to say that this honor is truly a reflection of each and every Aastro I played with, along with all the coaches, management teams, and of course "KING" (Ron Dion), the ultimate trainer! Without all of them this just is not possible.

I would also like to acknowledge all the other players and teams I hit the floor with over the years. All of them have played a role in allowing me to achieve this.

5. What were your best memories of the Nationals? What were the hardest memories for you to recall now?
There are so many great memories and also some difficult ones. Just being there, the comeraderie, as a member of the Aastros and the other teams I was lucky enough to go with, made each year very special. Although I never won a National Championship, the challenge of taking your game to that level was alot of fun.

There are some difficult memories from the Aastros days, as we came so close to making the final alot of years and in the final that we did play in, it was very close. The one year that seems to stick out the most was a last minute loss in the semi-final in Calgary. We lost a face-of in our own end, back to the point and in the net. I won't say who lost that face-off!!!!! That was in my early years with the Aastros.

Tough to top some of the times the Aastros had at the Nationals but one of the on-the-floor memories that is special and at the same time a difficult one, was with the Burnaby Bulls in 1995. We beat the Fernview Rangers in the semi-final and then lost in double overtime to the Montreal Storm in the final. In overtime, we scored but the goal was disallowed, as the referee ruled the ball was kicked in. To this day, I'm sure the guys all remember the ball deflecting off our player's leg as he was running to the net. That was a tough one to swallow.

6. What was your favorite location of the National championships for you. What did going across Canada mean to you?
I think my favorite Nationals was in Halifax. It was the Aastros first year at the tournament and we had a great time. The tournament was held in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia and we walked into this rink that was quite old (very old) and it looked too dark to play a hockey game in. Seeing the Maritime provinces was one of the great things about going across Canada to play at the tournament. Ball hockey and the National level is the reason I have been able to see this part of the country, as well as some of the other cities I've been to.

7. Who were the top players and teams you recall from you era. What did it mean to you to compete against them?
There were many great players at the national level in our era. Some of the top players I recall competing against are Claudio Lessio, Leonard Kane, Billy Bishop and Gus Kourousis. Playing against these guys certainly put your own game in perspective and also was a great motivator to challenge yourself to take your game to another level. In fact, you were forced to take your game up a notch or it wouldn't have been pretty. Not only were these guys skilled hockey players, they were real faaaast. It was amazing to watch the speed of many of the teams we played against.

I played with and against some great players in BC as well. With the Aastros, I remember the battles for supremacy against the Vancouver Racers and North Vancouver Rowdymen. The Aastros had many elite players so singling a few out wouldn't be fair. However, if there is one player that does stand out, it is the guy I played on a line with for many years, Steve Baker. Steve was well known across the country for his play at the National level and no doubt his play within the Province was well known. Our other linemate for years was Brent Mclaren and Brent and I had it easy - our job was to find Steve almost anywhere in the offensive zone and the ball was in the net more often than not. This award is as much about what Steve provided my career as anything I was able to accomplish!

8. What do you think the future of ball hockey is? What do you see happening with the sport?
I haven't followed the game too closely since I retired as after all those summers indoors, I have paid more attention to getting out on the golf course. I still hear the buzz every year around Provincials and Nationals time and it seems like there are more teams than ever competing at a high level. Late in my career the sport went international with the Canadian team being very successful at the World Championships.

I see many more minor ball hockey leagues around these days, so it appears the sport will continue to grow at provincial, national and international levels. I've recently seen articles on the web site about professional leagues in Europe and a Canadian player being signed in Switzerland, so as to the future of the sport world wide.....who knows.....!!!!