Tyler West of the Stylus wrote this excellent article about Coach's cancer diagnosis and what Brian means to Golden Eagle Hockey, the players, the students, and the entire Brockport community:
By Tyler West / News Editor
More than just a coach — that’s one thing the men who have played for him all say he is.
“He cares about his players and treats us as if we were his own. As a
person he’s taught me that there’s more to life than hockey,” SUNY
Brockport junior Mitch Parsons said.
Brian Dickinson, Head Coach of the SUNY Brockport men’s hockey team,
was recently diagnosed with cancer. A man who has offered support, hard
work, and dedication to the Brockport community for over 20 years, is
now getting that in return.
Dickinson has been the head coach since 1996 and has tallied over 200
career wins. He has coached 24 all-conference players, with nine
First-Team selections, two players of the year and one rookie of the
year. He was even named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year — twice.
But when you ask his team about him, they say that he is so much more than just a coach.
“One thing Coach has taught me is that life is bigger than just
hockey. The morals and values he lives by, and the things that he
constantly preaches backs this up,” SUNY Brockport senior Casey Winn
said. “He always tells us to have each other’s backs, whether it’s on or
off the ice. Stand up and look out for one another. He always wants us
involved in the community. He just wants us to be good people and treat
others with respect. It shows the type of person Coach is.”
Winn has played for the team for three years now, and he says he
can’t imagine what the hockey team would look like without Dickinson.
And he’s not the only one.
Dickinson’s team describes him as the backbone, the face of the team,
and note his constant dedication to not only the team, but the
community.
“The amount of time and effort he has put forth for this team is
unbelievable with recruiting, planning schedules, and making practice
plans,” SUNY Brockport junior Corey Tam said. “One thing that Coach has
taught me is the value of hard work. He demonstrates hard work with
whatever he does whether it’s at practice, working at the SERC or in the
mail-room, or volunteering on campus for an event. He is always willing
to put in the work.”
There’s no doubt that Coach Dickinson genuinely cares about his
team’s well-being. Each Thanksgiving, he opens his house to his team for
dinner if they can’t be home with their families. This is something
many of his players — former and current — say they will always
remember.
“He genuinely cares about his players. To be honest, I’ve been around
the hockey world a long time and the best coaches care about the
well-bring of their players, both on and off the ice,” SUNY Brockport
alum Matthew DeLuca said. “Without a doubt, he cared about us. Each year
he even opened up his own house for Thanksgiving dinner to all of the
players, especially like myself, who lived too far away to travel home
and back before our annual Thanksgiving tournament.”
DeLuca describes Dickinson as dedicated, consistent, and genuine.
“Coach Dickinson believed in me enough to put me in a position to
become the captain of our team. In doing so, he provided me with some of
the best and most proud moments of my life — moments that I often think
about and will never forget. In return, this is the least I could do,”
DeLuca said about creating a GoFundMe page for Dickinson.
The page has garnered thousands of dollars in donations to go towards
Dickinson’s ongoing medical expenses. Donations have come from his
players, community members, co-workers, alumni, and even from players on
opposing teams.
“I’m not sure if everyone realizes this or not, but that list of
donors has the names of several players and coaches that we used to
compete against in the SUNYAC. I believe that when former opposing
players and coaches donate to this cause, that speaks volumes about not
only the hockey community itself, but also the respect they have for
Coach Dickinson,” DeLuca said.
Over 240 people have donated in just four days.
Along with coaching hockey, Dickinson oversees daily operations of
the Tuttle North Ice Arena and supervises a staff of about 25 student
workers. He lives in Brockport with his wife Melisa and his five
children, and is an active participant in the community.
If you would like to donate to help Dickinson and his family with medical costs, you can donate here.
