Zach Whitecloud is an Indigenous Canadian hockey player whose parents, Tim Whitecloud and Donna Cullen dedicated their time to his career growth. He hails from The Sioux Valley Dakota Nation where everybody contributes to the upbringing and careers of their young talents.
Tim Whitecloud, Zach’s father, coached and trained him from the age of 6 till he was about 12 years old. His mother was also hands on deck for whatever he needed to excel in the sport.
Tim Whitecloud Coached his Son From the Age of 6
Tim Whitecloud coached and helped manage the Sioux Valley team which his son was part of. He coached his son from when he was 6 years old until he was about 10/12, according to the Ice Hockey player.
Tim Whitecloud was born on June 10, 1961, and grew up in Sioux Valley. He moved about 20 minutes away from his hometown of Sioux Valley to Brandon, Manitoba, when he was 18 years.
When it was time for him to start a family, he started it in Brandon. Zach Whitecloud’s parents however raised his son, the NHL player, to be connected to The Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.
Despite his moving away from Sioux Valley, Tim and his family still have roots and relatives there. In fact, he groomed his son, Zach, to be grounded in his heritage and family background.
Tim used to host players from the Brandon Wheat Kings at their family house. This also afforded his son the opportunity to learn a few things about hockey.
Ever since his son’s career kicked off, he has been a huge part of it and made sure to be at his games.
Donna Cullen is Proud of her Son’s Achievements
Though there isn’t much about Cullen, she was quite instrumental in the upbringing of her son. She is a native of Sioux Valley born as well and helped train her son with the traditions of the First Nation.
In spite of her son’s rising fame as an Ice Hockey player, Donna has been out of the limelight. It would have been the same thing with Tim but for the fact that he is actively involved in his son’s career.
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Zach Whietcloud’s Parents Received Help From Their Community
The Sioux Valley Dakota Nation showed its huge support for Tim Whitecloud and Donna Cullen’s son from the beginning of their son’s career. The entire First Nation Community threw their weight in financial support and otherwise for the young Ice Hockey player.
The community’s council and chief helped the Whitecloud with funds for Zach’s youth hockey fees as well as travel costs. This came in the form of a program set up to help the community children who show prospects in sports.
He continues to get a lot of support from back home even when he made it to the Stanley Cup. People from his hometown still send him encouraging messages and his friends text him to know how he is fairing.
The athlete’s parents did indeed instill the ideologies of family and community in their son. Zach is never shy to speak about his background and upbringing as he claims home in both The Sioux Valley and in Brandon.
As a show of gratitude, Tim and Donna’s son is giving back to the community that helped him launch his career. He was taught to make sacrifices and give back, by his parents and that is what he is doing in his community.
Zach Whitecloud speaks at Sioux Valley schools where he encouraged young children to take their education seriously. He also stresses the importance of healthy living and staying grounded in cultural heritages and events.
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