RED DEER - The deadline to apply for assistant coach and video coach positions with the Team Alberta U16 Male and U18 Female programs is this Friday (March 10).
Both the U16 and U18 programs are seeking two assistant coaches and one video coach for Team Alberta that will compete in the 2017 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup and 2017 National Women’s U18 Championships, respectively.
Team Alberta U16 Coach Application › | Team Alberta U18 Coach Application ›
Applicants must be in good standing with Hockey Canada and/or a member branch, have a strong knowledge base and understanding of systems and strategies. Previous coaching background within the Team Alberta program is considered an asset.
Team Alberta announces U16 and U18 Head Coaches
Hockey Alberta is proud to announce the appointment of Spiros Anastas and Craig Perrett as the Head Coaches of Team Alberta for the 2017U16 Male and U18 Female Programs.
Anastas comes into the head coach position for Team Alberta’s U16 team after winning gold last year at the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup as an assistant coach. He’s served as the Head Coach of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns (CIS) since 2014, having previously spent time as an assistant coach with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League, and with Western Michigan University and Lebanon Valley College. At the international level, Anastas won gold medals With South Korea at the 2015 IIHF World Championships as the Assistant Coach of the Division I, Group B Men’s National Team, and as the Head Coach of the Division II, Group A Korean U18 team.
Perrett is currently an Assistant Coach with the Mount Royal Cougars Women’s hockey team, and returns to Team Alberta after serving as an Assistant Coach on Team Alberta’s gold medal-winning U16 team in 2015. Perrett has spent many years with the Team Alberta program in various roles, most recently serving as a Coach Mentor at the Alberta Cup and Alberta Winter Games, and will mentor once again at the upcoming Alberta Challenge.
“We’re looking forward to having both Spiros and Craig back with the Team Alberta program,” said Mike Kraichy, manager of Team Alberta. “Both coaches are coming off gold medals in their respective years, and we’re excited to see how they will build off those successes.”
The U16 Male Program is the third stage of the development and identification process to select a roster for Team Alberta to compete at either the U16 Western Challenge or the Canada Winter Games. The Games are held every four years, with the next event set for 2019 in Red Deer. Players in the U16 Male program will be challenging for the opportunity to compete on one of the three teams that represent Canada each year at the World U17 Hockey Challenge.
The High Performance U18 program works towards identifying the top 20 female players in Alberta, who will comprise Team Alberta U18 representing the province at the National Women’s Under 18 Championship or the Canada Winter Games. Making this team is the pinnacle of female amateur hockey in Alberta, and a major lifetime highlight for the players.
