Viral video of adorable 4-year-old hockey player ranks 2nd on YouTube Canada’s 2019 charts

Dec 6 2019, 11:09 pm

Coach Jeremy and his four-year-old son Mason have come in second place out of 10 in the top videos watched on YouTube in Canada this year, beating out Celine Dion’s Carpool Karaoke with James Corden, CBC News‘ federal election special coverage, and Vogue‘s 73 Questions with Kim Kardashian West.

Jeremy Rupke, a content creator based in Barrie, Ontario, said his online following spiked after he posted a video to YouTube of Mason mic’d up playing hockey — with 300K subscribers today. The video has now been viewed nearly 12 million times.

Rupke told Daily Hive in a phone interview that he wanted to mic up Mason because he was curious about what went through his son’s mind when he played hockey, adding that he always knew Mason said “funny things” when he played with his toys.

“I had no idea that he talked to himself and encouraged himself, like when he falls over he says, ‘It’s okay, I’m okay,’ and when he was trying to skate with two feet, which we were trying to get him to do for the longest time,” Rupke said, “in the video you can hear him saying, ‘I did it! I’m doing it! I’m doing it!’ and he was so proud of himself and that made me so proud of him.”

Rupke said as a dad, hearing what Mason said while he skated with his two feet was his favourite clip in the video. “It gave me a new appreciation for something that looks so easy for adults, and he is really trying hard to do it, and he’s proud of himself when he achieves it, so it brings new light to our relationship.”

A message for parents to take away from the video, Rupke said, is to let kids have fun. “Understand that they are little people — things are challenging for them — and just let them enjoy it and kind of progress at their own pace. Especially in hockey, there’s a lot of pressure, so let them enjoy themselves out there.”

Rupke said he believes that the video received so many views because it’s more than just a hockey video; Mason’s inner dialogue is relatable in life: “The struggles, like ‘I’m tired, I need a nap.'”

We feel you, Mason.

As for defeating some big contenders for YouTube views in 2019, “it’s an honour,” Rupke said. “It feels great. I love creating content for hockey players and also for Canadians.”

After posting the first video of Mason skating and mic’d up, Rupke also posted another video of his son wearing a GoPro, adding that fans have been asking for a Part 3 — and they’ve been heard. “The last video was called four year old mic’d up at hockey practice, so when he turns five, I’ll have to do a five year old mic’d up at hockey and see how much he’s changed, if at all, from last year.”

For more hockey videos, you can follow Coach Jeremy on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.

Michelle MortonMichelle Morton

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