In collaboration with The Coaches Site and St. Andrew’s College, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association is proud to support the inaugural one-day coaching masterclass: TCS Live at SAC!

This event, designed specifically for minor hockey coaches, features the most innovative lessons on player development, team building, and seasonal planning, guaranteed to provide a spark of energy for the 2024-25 hockey season.

While TCS Live, The Coaches Site's flagship event in Michigan covers all coaching levels, TCS Live at SAC focuses specifically on youth hockey. The Coaches Site set out to create a conference specifically for minor hockey coaches, given the unique and different challenges they face today.

“The reality is, players and parents have high expectations of their experience playing minor hockey, and this experience is largely delivered by volunteers, which can create undue pressure,” said Aaron Wilbur, CEO of The Coaches Site. “By providing a forum to share best practices, technical resources, and hacks, we're going to relieve some of that pressure and hopefully inject a little bit more fun into the minor hockey experience for all stakeholders.”

Click here to find more details about tickets and registration.

David Manning, Head Coach of SAC 1st Hockey, shares in our enthusiasm and is excited to host the event on September 7, 2024. “Our minor hockey coaches play such an important role in helping grow and develop not only the game but the entire hockey community and the people within it,” said Manning. “Equipping them with as many tools as possible to make a positive impact is a no-brainer.”

Attending TCS Live SAC is especially a no-brainer when you see who the event presenters are. Namely:

• Brad Treliving, GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs
• Katherine Henderson, President and CEO of Hockey Canada
• Ben Barr, Head Coach of the University of Maine
• Rachel Flanagan, Assistant Coach of PWHL Toronto
• Scott Jones, Skating and Skills Consultant with the Vegas Golden Knights
• David Belitski, Director of Goaltending for the Barrie Colts

Although presentation topics have yet to be announced, each speaker will educate attendees on how to provide the best coaching experience possible.

“Registration numbers are declining in most regions, and volunteers are becoming harder to come by. This is concerning, and we feel that now is the time, as a sport, to meet these challenges head on. The Coaches Site is uniquely positioned to help lead the charge,” Wilbur said.

Educating grassroots coaches is essential to ensuring that players have positive experiences at younger ages and fostering a lifelong love for hockey. 

“Grassroots is the foundation of our game, where players can participate for life, but also as coaches, administrators, and game officials,” said Ian Taylor, Executive Director of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. “Our players of today will hopefully be the leaders in our communities for the next generation. 

Coaches, by far, have the biggest impact on player experience. The number one reason players play the game is to have fun. The number one reason they leave is lack of fun. So it seems straightforward that investing in our coaches should be a priority in all levels of hockey.”

Tickets to TCS Live SAC are selling fast—don’t hesitate to save your seat.

Click here to find more details about tickets and registration.