New Head of Development & Establishment of Development Committe
As we get set to embark on this unique 2020-2021
season, the Oshawa Minor Hockey Board of Directors is proud to announce that
Jim Jackson has officially been named as our Association’s new Head of
Development.
Over the past month Jim and the newly established Development Committee have been working hard alongside the Executive team to create and implement a strong program for all Oshawa minor players during this alternate season.
Jim stepped in as our AAA program mentor last season and has an extensive background in hockey. He has over 25 years of coaching experience within the OMHA, OWHA, CWHL, PWHL and OUA. Born and raised in Oshawa, Jim played for Oshawa Minor before being drafted in the first round of the OHL by the Oshawa Generals. After completing/finishing junior hockey, he moved on to an 11 year professional career, playing in the NHL, AHL, CHL and IHL, which included winning the Calder Cup with the Rochester Americans. From there, Jim went on to pursue coaching and has done so both at the minor hockey and professional level over the years, culminating in him winning the Clarkson Cup as a coach in the CWHL as well as coach of the year honours. Jim has also been inducted into the Rochester Americans and Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame. Clearly, Jim brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position and we look forward to the future of our development programming under his guidance/direction.
Along with the appointment of a new Head of Development, the OMH Board is also happy to announce the creation of a Development Committee made up of qualified individuals who together offer years of development experience and coaching. This committee will be chaired by Jim Jackson and will operate under his direction. It is meant to offer a variety of perspectives when it comes to development initiatives and represent the interests of coaches. It will function at an arms-length of the Board with all decisions made or recommended by the committee then going through the Board for final approval.
The committee is currently made up of five members, who will each serve in a specific capacity based on their own background and experience/knowledge. These members include: Jim Jackson (Chair), Tony Stabile (AAA/AA), Bryan Jackson (A/AE), Tim Bruton (Projects/Initiatives) and Jim Jennings (Board Representative). Below is a brief background on each individual:
Tony Stabile: Tony is a Certified High Performance Coach who has extensive experience at all ages and levels from Novice to Midget, topped off with five years of coaching Junior A Tier II. His passion for the game is only matched by his commitment. A winner of multiple championships and Coach of the Year awards while helping dozens of players progress in their hockey careers to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), NCAA and Pro Hockey. He is a graduate of Oshawa Minor Hockey and played Junior Hockey for the Ajax Axemen. Tony has served as a mentor coach in Oshawa and participated in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence with Team Ontario’s Under 17 Program, and has been coaching hockey for 25 years.
Bryan Jackson: Bryan has been passionate about hockey his entire life, both as a player and coach. He played minor hockey in Ajax and has been coaching in Oshawa since 2008, primarily at the A and AE levels across multiple age groups. As a head coach he has helped lead teams to two Lakeshore Championships for Oshawa Minor in 2014 and 2016. In his own words he states “I genuinely have a passion for the game of hockey and particularly appreciate and take pride in the development of minor hockey players both on and off the ice.” Bryan has primarily coached at A and AE and as such he will provide a much needed perspective on the specific needs of these levels, which are not always properly considered from a development perspective.
Tim Bruton: Tim has been an Oshawa Minor Hockey coach for seven years, starting out at the A level for two years and working with AAA teams the past five. He has constantly focused on using new and innovative methods to help players develop, including using video and empirical data in order to provide meaningful feedback to athletes. He states that he “has had the great fortune of working with and learning from a variety of skilled and experienced coaches and mentors over the years and continues to enjoy learning from the athletes and coaches he works with.”
Jim Jennings: Jim is the current Vice President of Oshawa Minor Hockey, and has been involved in the Association (in various capacities) over the last 40 years. He began as a coach in the LNHL and went on to coach various AAA teams over the course of 15 years. Jim eventually moved into an executive role within the Association, where he has remained involved with both player and coach development over the course of the past 10 years.