Former President of Kent’s ice hockey club, Charles Dabbs, has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to sports development at Kent with a win at the Kent Student Awards 2020.
Charles (23), who is now a Kent graduate in Politics and International Relations with Year in Continental Europe, helped to reorganise the structure of Kent Knights ice hockey club and worked with Greenwich & Kent Student’s Union (GKSU) to formally open a base at Kent’s Medway campus. This allowed Kent to make ice hockey as accessible as possible to many students and better reflected the club’s regional catchment.
For the first time, a dedicated B-team was formed in 2019/2020, with a series of friendly matches building their development throughout the season. Furthermore, due to the club’s continued growth, the A-team managed to make a return to the competitive BUIHA Southern Checking Division.
Born in Torfaen, Wales, Charles played ice hockey for Cardiff’s under 10’s team and undertook training camps in Finland. The appeal that Kent has an ice hockey team, was a key factor in his decision to study at the University.
Charles Dabbs said: ‘Winning the award felt brilliant. Receiving recognition for the many hours of hard work made it completely worthwhile. My tenure as President has granted me with an invaluable set of skills and experience that can partner my degree and enhance my employability. At the conclusion of my last tenure, I was able to use my experience to gain a summer internship with Rolls-Royce PLC. Now I have graduated, I am using the same experience to gain interviews for career positions. There is plenty to do, to see, and to experience as a student at Kent. It has been a huge factor in shaping and defining the person I am today.’