teamprofiles
By Diane Sokoloski
WGHA Spotlight: Coaches in Your Community Every day the WGHA’s volunteer coaches finish work and head to the arena. Christopher Stefik, Michael Newell, Tom Hewitt and Darren Dreger are just a few of the coaches in your community
MIKE NEWELL Assistant Crown Attorney in Durham Crown Attorney Office HL Novice “Blue Lightning” and PW “Jets” Frosty 6 a.m. February practices are character building, and the wide range of player skills and abilities means that Newell must plan fun and challenging practices. “We focus on helping players develop their basic hockey skills and learn the fundamentals of the game. To keep their attention we also have fun. Kids love freeze-tag at the end of a practice,” says Newell. Do girls play with passion? “Girls love hockey. At the end of each game or practice, whether it’s Tyke, Novice, Atom or Peewee, I look around and see big smiles, red cheeks and sweaty kids,” he says.
TOM HEWITT Assistant Crown Attorney in Durham Region Intermediate A
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OshawaSportsXpress.ca
With Hewitt’s 10 years of involvement in girls’ hockey it’s no surprise that his daughters Bailey and Paige are competitive players. Older players still love the game and Hewitt strives to keep organized and positive. “They respond with enthusiasm to a positive attitude. Being focused while dealing with school, family and work is a challenge,” he says. What is the best advice you give? “If they leave with a sense of team spirit, realizing the benefits of working together to achieve a goal while having a ton of fun, then I have done my job,” says Hewitt.
together when the older players become leaders. “We have a lot of talented players. Many of them are competitive soccer players or dancers. The spirit to compete is definitely still there,” says Dreger. What is the most fun? “Looking at all the girls come alive on the bench when girls who have either just taken it up, or girls who maybe aren’t as skilled, do something they have never done before. There are an abundance of moments inside a game that put a smile on my face,” he says. “They’ll have games where they get it, and the next game looks like 13 girls who have never played before,” says Dreger. Dreger feels privileged to be involved and he has it right when he gives kudos to the volunteers. “Without our coaches, managers, trainers and convenors we’d be in a heap of trouble. They’ve done incredible work providing a safe playing environment and a competitive one for those who choose.”
CHRIS STEFIK
DARREN DREGER Sportscaster Bantam HL Team Dreger is a director with the Whitby Minor Hockey Association and his son and daughter play hockey. The team he co-coaches with Dean Strickland pulls
City of Oshawa Recreation Novice A Christopher Stefik’s two daughters play hockey and luckily, being a coach is an extension of his day job. “I have knowledge of the benefits of physical activity and access to information on sport and recreation. It’s an asset to my coaching,” says Stefik. What do you emphasize at practices? “The need to be focused, ready to play and to channel energy into the practice,” he says, “They want to have fun, be with friends, feel accepted and do something they’re good at.”