Teamwork J


With local ownership and a heart for outreach, the Columbus Cottonmouths and Columbus Lions bring a value to the community that goes beyond wins and losses


Cottonmouths’ owner Wanda Amos and Asst. Coach Brad Prefontaine


Lions’ partner John Hargrove


what is expected of him. “Whatever it takes,” says Bechard, who played


hockey for the Cottonmouths before taking over as coach in 2004. “I love people. I love kids. I love hockey and I love this area. The same goes for our players and the ownership. “We’re more than just a team that plays in Colum-


bus. We’re a part of the community.” Those sentiments are echoed across the confer-


ence room table by Cottonmouth’s owner Wanda Amos, projecting the air of civic pride that has come to embody the team she and her family have owned since midway through the 1998-99 season


34 Columbus and the Valley August 2012


by Brett Buckner


erome Bechard is used to being asked to take his teeth out. Whether he’s talking to a class-


room of elementary school students or an autograph-seeking fan at a fast food restaurant, the head coach and general manager for the Columbus


Cottonmouths knows how to get their attention. “After that, I can say just about anything and


they’re on the edge of their seats,” Bechard says with a playfully wicked smile—teeth included. “It’s all part of the game.” As the unofficial face of the Columbus Cotton- mouths, the Valley’s hockey team, Bechard knows


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