This season marks the ninth year of the OMHA Coach of the Month presented by The Coaches Site. We asked for nominations of deserving coaches and after much deliberation, Jeff Brethour of the Brock U11 B2 team was selected as the Coach of the Month for November.

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Here's his story as told by his nomination:

It is with great respect and admiration that I nominate Jeff Brethour for the OMHA Coach of the Month Award. Jeff’s unwavering commitment to his players, his program, and his community exemplifies the highest standards of coaching excellence.

Jeff dedicates countless hours to the development of his team—crafting detailed practice plans, focusing on skill progression, teamwork, and discipline both on and off the ice. His practices are structured, engaging, and purposeful, ensuring that each player not only improves their hockey fundamentals but also learns the importance of respect, effort, and sportsmanship. Beyond his technical coaching abilities, Jeff serves as an exceptional role model and leader within the community. He demonstrates integrity, patience, and genuine care for every player, fostering an environment where confidence and camaraderie thrive. Parents and players alike recognize Jeff’s ability to motivate, teach, and inspire, making a lasting impact that extends far beyond the game.

Jeff Brethour’s passion for hockey, his dedication to youth development, and his exemplary leadership make him a truly deserving candidate for OMHA Coach of the Month.

I was raised in the small town of Sunderland (part of Brock Township) where I played minor hockey growing up. In 2012, Sunderland joined Beaverton and Cannington to create the Brock Minor Hockey Association. I started out helping coach the Brock U15 team from 2014 – 2016, before I had kids of my own. From 2019 until this season, I have been coaching my son’s teams and assisted my daughter’s teams for a few years as well. For this season, we have a young U11 team and a short bench, but we’re off to a solid start. It is a very tight-knit team. I’ve coached all of our players at least once before and they are all buddies. It’s been a great start to the season, and I am excited to see what the remainder of the season has in store for us.

It starts with evaluating games, and then trying to figure out what drills will provide the most benefit with our limited amount of practice ice. I use a couple different websites to create and organize drills and practice plans, and then send the practice plans to the other coaches ahead of time, so we’re all on the same page. I try to make sure we practice with purpose and find a balance between the basics, developing new skills, and strategies. To keep the team engaged, I like to add a lot of competition to practices, use a wide variety of drills and reward them with a fun game at the end. Seeing the skills taught in practices pay off in games really keeps me motivated to plan effective practices. I’m fortunate to have a great bench staff again this year who share the same goals and provide distinct qualities and perspectives.

I start the season off with a parent meeting to go over the expectations for the team, which include respect, teamwork and sportsmanship, then repeat this message to the players. Fortunately for me, our players naturally carry these qualities and as coaches we try to build on them in a team environment and lead by example. One thing we’ve been working on is improving communication amongst the players during games. We try to encourage them to get their teammates fired up on the bench, talk about the next shift or tap their goalie on the pads before face-offs. If only they would talk during the game as much as they do in the dressing room. 

I think our coaches do a great job of letting the players be themselves and give them their space to bond. The ultimate goal is to make sure they look forward to coming to the rink. To make this happen, I use a variety of drills at practice. No two practices are ever the same. For the month of November, I added a shot challenge for the kids to each complete 200 shots a week at home. If the team completes this challenge they get to plan a practice in December. I am intrigued to see what they come up with! Another fun and exciting aspect for our team is awarding the hardest working player with our team belt and another player our rotating Captain of the game. The players strive to earn these awards and are excited for their teammates.

 

I am honored to receive this recognition, but it’s truly a result of having a great bench staff, manager, parents and an awesome group of kids that make coaching them a ton of fun. Big thank you to Brock Minor Hockey for the support they provide to coaches and the volunteers who make it all happen for the kids. Go Wild!

Please note that all previous submissions are still eligible for upcoming Coach of the Month awards and do not need to be resubmitted.