The coaching staff will be made up of non-parent and parent coaches. I have an extensive process for my bench staff selection to ensure all members of the coaching staff offer the players a rich mixture of both hockey development and personal development.
We will have several paid, non-parent coaches on staff. Our goalie coach, Dylan Waugh, has years of experience as a professional player and coach; his ability to cater his training to the needs of the individual goalie outstanding. The team will support our goalies financially for other forms of training or coaching if required.
Execution Hockey Advancement, operated by Cole Leal, will run our development program. Cole is a former AAA player and veteran coach. His positive attitude and exceptional skills allow him to connect easily with the players; they can form a great relationship with Cole and typically cannot wait for his sessions.
Our Team Staff also includes:
- video review with an SPHL player
- a paid nutritionist
- professional strength and conditioning coaching
- professional figure skater
All coaching and development staff offer a variety of other services designed to improve players skills, nutrition, attitude, focus, strength, stamina and general health. We strive to build much more than just better hockey players; we are trying to make better people.
MY PROGRAM & ICE TIME
I strive to create an inclusive, supportive team where all players feel comfortable and are given the opportunity to learn and grow.
We have approximately 100 hours of practice ice each season. In addition, our team purchases a full development package of ice. The APMHA provides additional ice to representative teams that can be picked up during the season, for example, during the 2024/2025 season, including the ice the team ‘picked up’ we had 127 hours of practice and instruction, in addition to games.
While the team will try to get as much ice as we can, we understand that families are busy, holidays are important, people need some time off from hockey and this is a game, not a lifestyle. We create a busy and full schedule for the season, but we do our best to keep practice times convenient, early, and to avoid holidays when possible.
We maximize our preseason games by entering a tournament in September or early October. We will also schedule 2 exhibition games with nearby centers.
We will enter an additional 3 tournaments for the rest of the season and if there is interest and support, we would consider doing a total of 5 tournaments. We try to be travel and budget conscious when planning tournaments.
We also create an optional summer program that is available to the players at a very low cost. Last summer we offered 8 skates, with 4 coaches and 2 specialists, with a cost of $20 per skate/per person. We will also try to organize some shinny over the summer.
You’ll never miss a game with us; we live stream every game. There is no cost or membership required, just subscribe to the team’s YouTube channel and enjoy the games.
Players are expected to support, teach and train our AP players (Affiliate Players). The team will also work with players from younger teams; learning to teach and coach is an important part of our program.
PAST ACHIEVEMENTS
My 2024-2025 team did exceptionally well at several of the tournaments we entered, making a playoff or finals spot in 3 out of 4.
100% of our players’ families reported that their child saw some or a great deal of development this season.
100% reported that the practices were well organized and that the dressing room was safe and well supervised.
I, alongside the coaching staff, developed a strong and cohesive team that was able to play competitively with any time in the Lakeshore League.
THE ASSOCIATION
APMHA is the place to play. We have 9 pads at 3 different facilities and we have the resources of a large powerful organization.
Despite the size of the organization, coaching and playing with APMHA feels more like working with a small-town association. We’re a hockey family and that’s evident in how we deal with each other and the players.
The dedication and leadership of our executives and board of directors can be seen throughout the organization. The APMHA is diverse and inclusive. Communication is timely and effective. Issues and concerns are handled effectively and immediately and everyone from the office staff to the executive make every player and coach feel important and heard. I’m very proud to be a member of this association and I always know that they have my back and support our players.