AP RAIDERS U13AA (26/27) - COACH PROFILE & TEAM INFORMATION
HEAD COACH - MARTIN O'BRIEN
I have been an Ajax resident for the past 10 years with my wife and two hockey playing children. My involvement with hockey has spanned 40 years, as a player and now as a coach. In my minor hockey years some of the organizations that I played for were the Vaughan Kings, Toronto Young Nationals, Mississauga Senators, & Mississauga Reps. A few highlights for me were being named Captain or Assistant Captain on teams, scoring 50 goals in a season, and making it to a Silver Stick final and having the opportunity to play where my childhood idol (Wendel Clark) played-Maple Leaf Gardens.
Professional Background
I attended Seneca College and then York University and earned a diploma in Business, an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree, and a Bachelor of Education degree. I have been an educator for almost 20 years since, with 12 of those years as a Department Head at an alternative high school in Toronto with programs all over the city that serve “In-Risk” youth who have been suspended, expelled, or recently released from custody. My professional skills serve to enhance my understanding and relationships with children and adolescents.
Coaching
For the last 8 years I have been a coach with the APMHA, half of those at the AA and MD levels. Additionally, for the last few seasons I have coached with the Durham West Lightning Girls Hockey Association (U11 and U9 tier I teams). Prior to this I coached Varsity high school hockey teams at St. Edmund Campion Secondary School in Brampton. Other sports I have coached in Durham also include recreational baseball and soccer in Ajax & Whitby. As a teacher I have also coached Football, Soccer, Track and Field, Cross Country, and Baseball teams, on top of helping run weightrooms and peer mentorship programs.
Program
My hockey program will consist of developing the players on and off the ice. It will be based on a culture that fosters growth, development, and teamwork. We will be on the ice 3-4 days a week and have approximately 100 hours of practices and will integrate off ice learning sessions at various points throughout the season. There will be 3-4 tournaments (2-3 local & 1 away). Practices will concentrate on individual skill that focuses on the fundamentals (skating, passing, shooting, stick handling & hockey IQ), as well as team concepts. Game specific small area games and skill stations will be utilized in practices. On ice development will also be supplemented by sessions with 3-Zones Hockey, Larry Marson, and Tenders goalie training.
Association
Ajax-Pickering Minor Hockey Association has access to 9 rinks at 3 different arenas, offering teams plenty of prime-time ice. The board and staff at APR are supportive of coaches, players, and families and seek to make every season a successful one.