Sean Donovan # 19 Defence

Biography:

Sean started out playing ball hockey with neighbourhood friends as a kid on the streets of St. John's. They would play all evening and into the night, under the street lights. This was a great way to develop skills as there were no rules or instructions there. The kids just played for the fun and competition.

In the early 80's Sean started playing in the local leagues. The India Bears were established and he happened to get a spot on their defence. After a few good years, that team evolved to become the Best Western Travellers. The guys were all good friends on that team and they were determined to make some noise on the national level. After a few years of knocking on the door, they finally won the National in 1987. The Travellers went back and won the Championship again in 1988. Those years leading up to and winning the national championship were great memories. Just being able to compete with the larger provinces was a great accomplishment. To win twice was something the entire team took great pride in.

There were many leaders on that Best Western team. Sean’s role was to be a steady defenseman and help contribute with some offence. He took great pride in the team’s defensive game, but he loved to jump forward on the rush to add an extra attacker going into the offensive zone.

As a team, Sean cannot begin to tell you how close they were. They not only played together but they hung out together all of the time. The team would be together all week long for games and practice and then on the weekends they would hang out as well. Even during the off season they were close. Sean thinks this was the biggest factor in their success ... They were such great friends, and they still are!
 

Interview:

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in St. John’s, in the centre part of the city and I now live in the west part of St. Johns. Most of my family lives in the west part of the city as well. 

2. When did you first start playing ball hockey?
I can remember playing ball hockey when I was four of five years old on the street. There was no organized ball hockey then, it was just street hockey. I can remember playing a young kid, playing against the older kids and developing as a player that early.

3. What’s the biggest reason that you played ball hockey?
It was just so easy to play. All you needed was a pair of sneakers, a stick and a ball and then you had a game. You didn’t have to book ice time or get into an arena. We lived near a cull de sac where we played all day and evening. 

4. How did you mentally prepare for a game?
When we had big games I liked to be with the team and prepare with the team. We would talk about the game and prepare our strategies. 

5. What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
From my parents, hard work, dedication, and stick to it and don’t give up. Their tenacity was super. Don’t give up on anything, its there if you work long and hard enough you’ll get there.

6. What skills are the most important in ball hockey?
The vast majority of skill in ball hockey is from the neck up. You need to be a thinking person. It’s good to have speed and a hard shot and things like that, but if you are a good thinking player, play both ends of the rink in a smart way; I think that’s the biggest asset you can bring to the game.

7. Who was your role model?
My dad was my role model. He would always support me all the up through hockey, always bring me to the games. Give me a pat on the back, even if I didn’t do so well, he would always encourage me and tell me that I did well. 

8. When I was younger I…
All I ever wanted to do was play sports. I loved playing sports, being around sports. We grew up on the streets in St. John’s; there weren’t a lot of electronic games or television, so we got our enjoyment being out on the streets.

9. Who was your favourite ball hockey team other than your own?
That would have to be the Winnipeg Grasshoppers. I really enjoyed playing against them and watching them. They had a short bench, not a lot of players, but they really competed hard and they were a great team.

10. What is your favourite thing about playing ball hockey?
I liked the competition of it and the guys that I played with. Number one being the guys I think. The memories I have and the friends I have developed. These last a lifetime. I wasn’t a big fan of playing just for recreation, and even when we just played for recreation, it got very competitive. 

11. Outside of ball hockey these days what do you do?
S: Right now I work for a pharmaceutical company. I do a lot of traveling. I still play a lot of golf. I like to spend as much time as I can with my daughter Jane. 

12. Do you have any hobbies or interests that would surprise us?
I travel a lot and I still like to travel. I still like meeting new people and seeing new places. I travel around the island, into Quebec and down south as well.

13. Can you talk about what it meant to represent Newfoundland?
It was the highlight of my sports career for sure; I had represented Newfoundland in many sports in the past, some court sports or ice hockey. But we couldn’t be competitive with the bigger Provinces in those sports, especially ice hockey, but in ball hockey it was a proud thing to go and compete and actually win for your Province. 

14. Was there anything significant about the number that you wore?
I wore the number nineteen and when I started playing ball hockey Larry Robinson wore that number. I admired him and it was nice to wear the same number.

15. Did you use any kind of a training regimen?
We used to run around kiddy Biddy Lake even before our practices. The practices were two hours. We tried to build up our stamina that way. It was two to three hours of workouts about three times and week and then we would have our games. We played indoors about eleven months a year. 

16. Who’s the best all round ball hockey you’ve ever faced?
It was Shane McKay of the Winnipeg Grasshoppers. He was tremendous ball hockey player. He could dominate a game; carry a team on his back. He was an offensive threat all the time and yet he was a great defensive defenceman. I really admired the way he played. 

17. What was your greatest athletic moment?
 It was the year that we went and won our second national championship. When we came back and won the second national championship in 1988 and we were the first team to ever do it. It put a stat on our team that up to that time was the greatest achievement we could have ever had.

18. What was most embarrassing athletic moment anywhere?
It was in 1987 and we needed a win to get into the playoffs. We were leading in agame 2-1. There was a minute left in the game. I was selfish and I tried to take a slap shot on the net. It bounced off a player’s knee, which turned into a breakaway and scored to tie it up. I had to go back and face my best buddy Peter White, who was in net. I can tell you that was a long walk back to the net.
 

Career

• Before 1980: Played ice hockey and learned the game of ball hockey on the streets of St. John’s
• 1983 - 86 India Bears
• 1986 - 97 Best Western Travellers