Hearing about getting active and being a good teammate can get old from your teacher or coach, but when a two-time Olympic gold medallist and an NHL player tell you, you listen.

That was the case on Monday as 235 students from Ecole St. Margaret, Sacred Heart and Palliser Heights Schools attended the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Games at 15 Wing Moose Jaw.

“I challenged them to be the best teammate that they could possibly be to the people sitting next to them,” said Meaghan Mikkelson, a two-time gold medallist with Canada in women’s hockey at the Winter Olympics. “That’s so important with sport, even if it’s an individual sport, and in life, just being a good person and being a good teammate.”

Mikkelson was joined by Philadelphia Flyers forward Brayden Schenn and TSN’s Gord Miller at the event.

15 Wing Moose Jaw is presented with $4,500 worth of sports equipment and gift cards from Canadian Tire on Monday at the Jumpstart Games. (Photo: Marc Smith)

This is the third year that Canadian Tire has been taking their Jumpstart Games to military bases around the country. 15 Wing Moose Jaw is the third stop on the four-base tour this year, which wraps up Wednesday at CFB Shilo in Manitoba.

As part of the tour, the local base has received donations of $3,000 worth of sports equipment and $1,500 of gift cards.

“It certainly makes a big difference,” said Eric MacKenzie, national recreation co-ordinator with the Canadian Forces. “Canadian Tire has supplied important equipment that’s good for all ages. There’s a basketball net there that’s great for sports programs. There’s also tons of equipment for general recreation use.”

Miller helped start the Jumpstart Games program after travelling to Afghanistan to visit troops stationed in the Middle Eastern country.

He said he saw the need for new sports equipment needed on military bases in Canada and wanted to help out.

“I approached Canadian Tire and they were in right away,” said Miller. “They’ve now contributed over half a million dollars worth of sports equipment to these bases and wings.

“The thing to remember is that it’s not just members of the military that serve, their families do to. There’s long absences, there’s deployments away, there’s a lot of moving, so being able to play sports, be active and be fit is a huge plus for morale and for health.”

TSN's Gord Miller speaks with some local students at the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Games at 15 Wing Moose Jaw on Monday. (Photo: Marc Smith)

33 Canadian Armed Forces Bases across Canada are Jumpstart Community Partners, including 15 Wing here in Moose Jaw.

More than $327,000 has provided to families in Moose Jaw since 2005 to help 2,046 kids get involved in sports, including 359 last year alone.

When growing up playing hockey in Saskatoon, Schenn said that he didn’t need the help of a program like Jumpstart, but it’s great that it’s there to provide assistance to those in need.

“Everyone needs help along the way at some point in their life and Canadian Tire has done such a good job of helping families around Canada with this program,” said Schenn. “They’ve donated a lot of money, do a good job of putting events together like this and for me, Meaghan and Gord to be here means a lot and we’ll do anything to help.”

During the Jumpstart Games on Monday, the local students got the opportunity to participate in six different stations (soccer, noodle hockey, flag football, kinball, adaptive bocce and a military-inspired inflatable) with the athletes.

“It’s important for kids to come here, learn about what it means to be a good teammate, have fun, listen to your teacher, all those skills that in life will go a long way,” Schenn. “The sooner you can start them learning those skills, it’s going to help them later in life, so this is important to be a part of.”