arjun interview reel final

Summary

Argent Atal, the first-ever South Asian captain and MVP in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, discusses his journey from playing ice hockey at age 5 to leading in the league. Atal, now 24, chose education over professional hockey, earning a scholarship and graduating before starting a master's program. He aims to grow South Asian representation in hockey, recently winning the Indo Cup and eyeing the world championship. He also established a platform to support young South Asian hockey players, offering guidance on training, academics, and life skills.

Takeaways

• 🏒 The interviewee is a trailblazer as the first-ever captain and MVP of South Asian descent in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
• 🎓 He started as an assistant captain at 18 and later became a veteran, providing advice to younger players.
• 🌐 He emphasizes the importance of building connections and networks within the South Asian community.
• 🚩 He began playing ice hockey at 5 years old and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a leading scorer in various leagues.
• 🏆 He played in the Western Hockey League and then transitioned to the Alberta Hockey League, where he played for several years.
• 📚 At 24 years old, he chose to focus on education over going professional, utilizing a scholarship to attend university.
• 🌟 He graduated from university and is now pursuing a master's degree, demonstrating a commitment to education.
• 🏅 He recently won the Indo Cup Championship and is now aiming for the world championship, seeking to represent South Asians at the highest level.
• 💪 He advises young players to be fully committed to their opportunities and to work hard in all they do.
• 🤝 He has started a platform to promote South Asian hockey, offering guidance on training, development, and education.

Q & A

What are the two significant achievements mentioned about Argent Atal?

Argent Atal is the first ever captain of South Asian descent in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and also the first ever MVP of South Asian descent.

How did Argent Atal's role evolve from being an assistant to a captain?

Argent Atal started as an assistant in his 18-year-old year and then transitioned to becoming a captain, learning from older players and eventually becoming the veteran that younger players look up to for advice.

What does Argent Atal see as the benefits of being South Asian in the hockey community?

Being South Asian allows Argent Atal to grow and build connections and a network for the South Asian community in hockey, which has not been present before.

How old was Argent Atal when he started playing ice hockey?

Argent Atal started playing ice hockey at about 5 years old.

What was Argent Atal's progression in the ice hockey leagues?

Argent Atal played minor hockey, then moved to Southside at 14, led in scoring in R15, transitioned to the Western Hockey League, and then played in Sher Park in the AHL as an 18, 19, and 20-year-old.

What is the next level for a player in the AHL?

The next level for a player in the AHL could be the NCAA Div One or going professional, but Argent Atal chose to take advantage of a scholarship and focus on his education.

Why did Argent Atal decide to focus on his education instead of going professional?

Argent Atal decided to focus on his education because he didn't want to be half in and half out of professional hockey. He wanted to be fully committed to either going pro for five plus years or starting his schooling and working on his career.

What was the turning point for Argent Atal in choosing his career path?

The turning point was Argent Atal's decision to either fully commit to professional hockey for an extended period or to start his schooling and focus on his career for the next five years.

What is the next goal for Argent Atal in ball hockey after winning the Indo Cup Championship?

The next goal is to participate in the world championship, get a team from India, and win the championship, ensuring South Asian representation at the highest level.

What advice does Argent Atal have for young South Asian ball hockey players looking up to him?

Argent Atal advises young players to never take any opportunity for granted, to put their mind and body into whatever opportunity they get, and to go at it 100%.

What is the South Asian hockey Network and how does it help players?

The South Asian hockey Network is a platform started by Argent Atal to promote togetherness and provide guidance on training, development, and maintaining grades for players, as well as offering resources and support that were not available in the past.

Outlines

00:00

🏒 Journey to Success: From Junior Hockey to MVP

The speaker interviews Argent Atal, a prominent figure in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the first-ever captain of South Asian descent. Atal discusses his significant achievements, including being the first MVP of South Asian descent. He shares his journey from an assistant at 18 to a veteran sought for advice. He also highlights his South Asian heritage and the importance of building a community network. Atal's ice hockey journey began at age 5, playing in various leagues, and eventually transitioning to the Western Hockey League. At 24, he discusses his decision to prioritize education over professional hockey, opting to complete a master's program instead of pursuing opportunities in Europe. He also mentions winning the Indo Cup and his aspirations to participate in the world championship, aiming for South Asian representation at the highest level.

05:01

🌟 Empowering the Next Generation: The South Asian Hockey Network

Argent Atal talks about his initiative to uplift the next generation of South Asian ball hockey players. He has established a platform called the South Asian Hockey Network to provide guidance on training, nutrition, and academic performance. The network aims to help players navigate their way to college or professional hockey and offers resources that were previously unavailable. Atal emphasizes the importance of hard work and dedication, whether in sports or other aspects of life. He encourages young players to seize every opportunity and give their best. The interview concludes with Atal's message to young 'Brown Ballers' to keep striving for greatness.

Keywords

💡Alberta Junior Hockey League

The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league, which is a tier of competition for amateur players in Canada. In the script, Argent Atal is mentioned as playing in the AJHL, indicating his involvement in competitive ice hockey at a high level. His role as captain signifies leadership within his team.

💡Captain

A captain in sports, particularly in team sports, is a player who is chosen to lead the team. In the context of the video, Argent Atal is noted as the first-ever captain of South Asian descent in the AJHL, which is a significant milestone reflecting his leadership and representation for his community.

💡MVP

MVP stands for 'Most Valuable Player,' an award given to the best-performing player in a sports league or competition. Argent Atal is highlighted as the first-ever MVP of South Asian descent, emphasizing his outstanding performance and contribution to his team.

💡Transition

In the context of the script, 'transition' refers to the change in roles or stages in a player's career. Argent Atal discusses transitioning from an assistant to a captain and then to a veteran player, which shows his growth and development in the sport.

💡South Asian

South Asian refers to people who have their origins in countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. In the video, Argent Atal's South Asian heritage is significant as he breaks barriers and sets precedents in the hockey world, inspiring others from his community.

💡Western Hockey League

The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. Argent Atal's mention of playing in the WHL signifies his progression to a higher level of competition in his ice hockey career.

💡AHL

AHL stands for American Hockey League, which is a professional ice hockey league in North America and a stepping stone to the National Hockey League (NHL). Argent Atal's participation in the AHL as an 18-, 19-, and 20-year-old indicates his continued advancement in the professional hockey world.

💡NCAA

NCAA refers to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which governs college sports in the United States. Argent Atal discusses the possibility of taking the NCAA route, which would involve playing ice hockey at the collegiate level and potentially leading to professional opportunities.

💡Indo Cup

The Indo Cup is a ball hockey championship mentioned in the script. Argent Atal's team recently won this championship, which is a significant achievement in his ball hockey journey, indicating his success and commitment to the sport.

💡World Championship

A world championship in sports is a global competition where the best teams or players from different countries compete. In the script, Argent Atal mentions the world championship as the next step for his team, aiming for global representation and success in ball hockey.

💡South Asian hockey Network

The South Asian hockey Network is a platform mentioned by Argent Atal to promote togetherness and provide resources for South Asian hockey players. It is an initiative to support the community, offering guidance on training, development, and educational opportunities, which reflects his commitment to uplifting the next generation.

Highlights

Argent Atal is the first-ever captain of South Asian descent in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

He is also the first-ever MVP of South Asian descent.

Argent started as an assistant captain at 18 and learned from older players to become a veteran.

He sees his role as an opportunity to build connections and a network for the South Asian community in hockey.

Argent began playing ice hockey at the age of 5 and quickly rose through the ranks.

He was the leading scorer in his league at the age of 14 and continued to excel.

Transitioned to the Western Hockey League, playing in Saskatoon and Victoria.

Played in Sher Park in the AHL at the age of 18, 19, and 20.

Argent is currently 24 years old.

Discusses the different routes to professional hockey, including NCAA Div One and the AHL.

Chose to pursue education over professional opportunities in Europe.

Completed a four-year scholarship at UFC and recently graduated.

Argent is starting his master's program.

He emphasizes the importance of hard work and dedication in both sports and career.

Won the Indo Cup Championship recently, a significant milestone.

Aiming to participate in the world championship and represent South Asian ball hockey at the highest level.

Argent is involved in creating a platform to promote South Asian hockey and provide resources for players.

Advice to young South Asian ball hockey players: Never take any opportunity for granted and give 100%.

Argent is uplifting the next generation through his platform and guidance.

Transcripts

all right guys I'm sitting here with

Argent atal played at the Alberta Junior

Hockey League the first ever captain of

South asan descent also the first ever

MVP of South aan descent how you doing

man I'm very good those are two big

things by the way I don't know when you

got the captain and got the did it feel

a certain type of way for you yeah it's

obviously huge yeah so I started off as

an assistant uh in my 18-year-old year

and then um obviously making that

transition and jump really learning from

older guys when I was younger and then

uh becoming that old guy kind of the

veteran people look up to and come to

for advice not even just hockey life in

general it's it's awesome and being salv

Asian it's it makes it that much better

that I can grow and build connections

and a network for our community that's

never uh that we've never had before

amazing you just started playing ball

hockey 5 years ago so walk me through

the ice hockey Journey up until now yeah

so I started off ice hockey at about 5

years old played uh mil woods and North

Sierra Confederation and in the minor

hockey levels and the minor ages made a

transition to Southside at a 14-year-old

and uh played B on to play uh went was

the leading score of That League went on

to uh R 15 as a 15-year-old LED

that league and then went to trip

major triaa as a 16-year-old and

L that league and then I transitioned to

the Western Hockey League where I played

in Saskatoon and and Victoria and then I

came to Sher Park in the AHL as 18 19 20

year old incredible how old are you

right now 24 currently 24 right now so

for for those who don't know even for

myself like AHL what's the the ladder to

get to the next level or what's up from

there basically yeah so there's a couple

of routes you could take uh usually the

AGL route is NCAA div one uh once you

sign in the westly you can't go that way

but they are working on uh changing that

rule currently so the next step for me I

could have gone pro but I decided to

take my schooling cuz you get a

scholarship paid for so you have about

18 months to take advantage or it goes

so I did four years at UFC um completed

that I just graduated uh last uh winter

semester and uh I decided to uh not take

my European Pro opportunities that I had

had some options but uh decided to kind

of start life and starting my master

program at the year congrats man that's

incredible for you taking that I okay

let me ask you this cuz I've seen people

with obviously two different types of

stories you kind of took the ladder

where it's like instead of playing pro

let's stay back here focus on my future

life and career

what was the the turning point of what

made you choose to stay here as opposed

to going to Europe for example yeah

absolutely for me it was uh more than a

one-year decision um I didn't want to

just go for an experience and and kind

of be half half in half out right uh for

me it was either I go pro go to Europe

and I'm I'm 100% committed and I go for

five plus years or I start my schooling

and and really work on my career for the

next 5 years and see where I could take

that so um the biggest thing to talk

taught me is hard work and dedication

and whether that's into the sport world

or the Work World um I think those uh

things really stay with you I love it

again kudos to you for you know taking

that step what's next for you I guess in

your ball hockey Journey 5 years in you

mentioned you won the Indo Cup

Championship recently so what's next or

what do you want to accomplish in ball

hockey yeah so uh Indo cup was a big one

um that's kind of like the main

objective we had and now we're looking

at a bigger scale so there's a world

championship that happens I believe

every two or four years um so that's the

next step getting a team India um we

have to get acceptance uh they had some

issues uh in the past that we're trying

to tackle those hurdles currently and

then uh send a team because we want self

Asian representation um at the highest

level and obviously once we get there

then the goal is to win that so

absolutely that's about the the fiveyear

goal here and we have a good young group

of players that are very committed as

you see here at this tournament today

there's many players and then we can go

to BC and Calgary even on there's there

a pleer a player so I think uh that's

the next step I love it man look man I'm

excited to like be in the ball hockey

World now get a chance to follow some of

you the guys I met today including

yourself and I I'm I told these guys I'm

coming to IND cup next year we're going

to see keep following you guys and keep

up with your journey you already gave

kind of a Word of Wisdom in terms of the

things that hockey has taught you but

I'll ask you one more time for the young

Brown Ballers out there anyone may be

looking up to you trying to follow in

your footsteps what would you tell them

yeah absolutely uh I would just tell

them to never take any opportunity for

granted um a lot of kids that are

younger are more privileged than uh even

my older siblings were or older cousins

were just with all of us migrating here

slowly generation after generation so

whatever opportunity you get put your

mind and body into it and and go at it

100% I've started a platform actually um

as one hockey promoting togetherness of

South South Asian hockey Network all

nice huge um we've collaborated with uh

South Asian hockey with dampy um uh

Elite hockey science VC uh we actually

did a summit and uh I I help a lot of

players uh with guidance of eating uh

training uh on Ice development off ice

development uh to keep their grades high

in case they want to go the college

level or the college path so I think

it's a it's a really good Network for

guy uh parents and the players to uh

have a resource that we didn't have as

to where to train and where to play so

those are the main things that uh we

want to help out with and any life

issues as well we're always man I love

that you're already uplifting the Next

Generation trying to put on for them so

they can learn better and be better

athlet so kudos to you hopefully we can

get involved with that help you guys out

but uh man thanks and good luck to this

tournament yeah thank you so much and uh

shout out to all the young Brown Ballers

uh keep doing whatever you're doing and

be great at it