I was born and raised in Waterdown and now my family and I live in Carlisle. I grew up playing in the FHA, and continued playing for the Waterdown High School team and the now defunct Flamborough Gamblers Junior hockey team. I've been a coach and occasionaly a convenor in the Flamborough Hockey Association for the past seven seasons. This season I will be running my own sessions at the Shed.
As a player, I developed a love for the game of the hockey. Through coaching I get to instil that same love for the game in the next generation.
My coaching philosophy is fairly simple.
Through my experience as a player I've always thought hockey is a simple game. It is a hard and fast game. Players, pucks, and sticks must move fast; shots, passes, checks and pursuit of the puck must be hard. The practices that I run reinforce this.
I also believe skating skills are very important. If you can't skate well then its very hard to play at a competitive level.
Hockey is a game where you can make up for lack of skill with plenty of hustle. I instil in my players that every time you step on the ice it is to exert maximum effort.
Ability to develop skills in players and see the areas they need to work on.
Ability to push players out of their comfort zone.
Ability to re-focus and re-develop if a certain strategy/play/drill is not working. I always feel there is something more to learn as a coach and I do not suffer from thinking my point of view or strategy is the only one.
Ability to bond with the players.