Board Member Applicants

How Many Players do you have in the association?

1

What ages/levels are your players?

Mite 2

Are you currently involved with SYHA other than being a parent?

If yes, please describe your current or past involvement (coach, volunteer, committee member, etc.):

Mite Jamboree Committee member

How long have you and/or your family been involved with SYHA?  

First Season

Why are you interested in serving on the SYHA Board of Directors?  

I believe in being a part of the solution, not the problem. And that means stepping up to take on and help solve issues that may percolate as opposed to complaining and sniping from the sidelines. I want to help build the kind of association where all of our kids can pursue every possible dream from right here in our own backyard.

What skills, experience, or perspective would you bring to the Board?  

Communications background, six years with the Minnesota Wild in a digital content role and six years with the National Hockey League as a digital correspondent. More than two decades of experience overall in and around locker rooms at the Division I and NHL levels. 

Please describe any prior board, leadership, or volunteer experience (youth sports or otherwise):  

Served on the Saber Showdown Mite Jamboree committee this season. Former high school football coach (2009-14). Former youth football coach (2004).

How Many Players do you have in the association?

1

What ages/levels are your players?

Mite 1

Are you currently involved with SYHA other than being a parent?

If yes, please describe your current or past involvement (coach, volunteer, committee member, etc.):

Yes, I am a committee member and helped run the 12U Girls Tournament

How long have you and/or your family been involved with SYHA?  

2 years

Why are you interested in serving on the SYHA Board of Directors?  

I like to be involved with projects that are bigger than myself. I think this community has seen a lot of change in the hockey program recently and I would like to help grow it even more.

What skills, experience, or perspective would you bring to the Board?  

 Skills: Extrovert, willingness to step in and help with whatever needs to be done, friendly, and outgoing. 

Please describe any prior board, leadership, or volunteer experience (youth sports or otherwise):  

Currently coach 7U baseball for my oldest son and will continue to do so until I probably can't. Volunteer Experience: Member of the Shakopee Lions for six years, and have been running the 

How Many Players do you have in the association?

1

What ages/levels are your players?

Bantam

Are you currently involved with SYHA other than being a parent?

If yes, please describe your current or past involvement (coach, volunteer, committee member, etc.):

No

How long have you and/or your family been involved with SYHA?  

1 year

Why are you interested in serving on the SYHA Board of Directors?  

SYHA has been outstanding to us as a family transferring in and would like to give back and represent the program well. 

What skills, experience, or perspective would you bring to the Board?  

Previous experience on youth sports Board of Directors, retired Paramedic, and hold several degrees including an MBA. I have a background in Business Management and Leadership including HR Administration. 

Please describe any prior board, leadership, or volunteer experience (youth sports or otherwise):  

Over 30 years of coaching youth sports and have held several positions on youth sports board including VP. 

How Many Players do you have in the association?

3

What ages/levels are your players?

Bantam, PeeWee, Mites

Are you currently involved with SYHA other than being a parent?

If yes, please describe your current or past involvement (coach, volunteer, committee member, etc.):

I am currently a head coach at the Bantam level as well as the Squirt Coordinator on the Shakopee Hockey Development Committee.

How long have you and/or your family been involved with SYHA?  

9 Years

Why are you interested in serving on the SYHA Board of Directors?  

I am interested in serving on the Shakopee Board of Directors because I care deeply about the role hockey plays in building character, teamwork, and community for young athletes. I also want to give back by helping ensure the association provides a positive, inclusive, and development-focused experience for all levels.

What skills, experience, or perspective would you bring to the Board?  

 I bring a combination of on-ice experience, organizational involvement, and professional expertise that I believe would add value to the board. I've coached in the Shakopee program for the past nine years, which has given me a strong understanding of player development and the day-to-day experience of families in the association. I have also served as the Squirt Coordinator for the past two years, where I have been involved in planning and supporting age level programming. Outside of hockey, I work in corporate finance where I regularly engage in budgeting, financial planning, and board-level discussions. That experience has helped me develop a thoughtful, analytical approach, decision-making, and long-term planning.

Please describe any prior board, leadership, or volunteer experience (youth sports or otherwise):  

Head coach in Shakopee at many levels and Squirt Coordinator.

How Many Players do you have in the association?

1

What ages/levels are your players?

10U

Are you currently involved with SYHA other than being a parent?

If yes, please describe your current or past involvement (coach, volunteer, committee member, etc.):

No

How long have you and/or your family been involved with SYHA?  

14 years

Why are you interested in serving on the SYHA Board of Directors?  

Improve our program

What skills, experience, or perspective would you bring to the Board?  

25 years coaching, past SYHA board member

Please describe any prior board, leadership, or volunteer experience (youth sports or otherwise):  

Board member SYHA,SYLA 

How Many Players do you have in the association?

2

What ages/levels are your players?

11 yr old, 13 yr old

Are you currently involved with SYHA other than being a parent?

If yes, please describe your current or past involvement (coach, volunteer, committee member, etc.):

Apparel Committee

How long have you and/or your family been involved with SYHA?  

5 years

Why are you interested in serving on the SYHA Board of Directors?  

I love sports! Experiences in athletics, small business as well as navigating challenges within corporate business models provides me with an opportunity to contribute diverse perspectives in multifaceted areas within the SYHA organization. 

What skills, experience, or perspective would you bring to the Board?  

BS, Organizational Management and Leadership

Professional athlete, professional instructor involved with lessons, camps and clinics, college coach, HS coach, volunteer multi-sport youth coach. In Kansas City I worked for Kevin Seitzer and Mike MacFarlane (Mac-N-Seitz) as well as for Team USA coach Dave Bingham. 

Corporate World

-Collaborative work committees: process improvement, workflow and best practices studies. Activities committee. Customer service committee. 

-Corporate leadership ambassador

-Team lead & charter member of specialized task force

--Contract negotiation and settlement

-Agency liaison

-Special investigation and fraud specialist

Manufacturing supervisor

Athletic director of youth sports business

Cash grain broker in Kansas City, Board of Trade

Sales and marketing

Multiple awards for customer service, process improvement, and fulfilling team leadership roles. 

Please describe any prior board, leadership, or volunteer experience (youth sports or otherwise):  

The best example is three years with Sport2Sport in Lawrence, KS serving as an athletic director over multiple sports: Baseball/softball, basketball, indoor soccer, inline hockey. This was a small business started by KU basketball alumni Roger Morningstar, supported by a group of investors including coach Roy Williams and former NBA player Danny Manning. The business model was providing year-round sport activities for area youth and adults. Basketball was the largest program, providing leagues and regional tournaments that included collaboration with Lawrence schools and the City of Lawrence. With a staff of 5 people, we were responsible for recruiting, marketing, building leagues, managing facilities, supervising my one KU intern and the teenagers working the two concession stands. Former KU head baseball Dave Bingham started the baseball/softball operation before transitioning to baseball lessons, clinics and camps in the metro area. I replaced Dave and continued the role of building summer and fall leagues, hosting tournaments including USSS state events. Being a tournament director is fun! The hockey program was simple. I had two professors from Canada who taught at KU and loved hockey. They taught and instructed as well as officiated games along with others. KU had an inline hockey team that played games and practiced at our facility. I was in charge of the Sunday night adult hockey league. The boys from Ft. Riley, Kansas always provided entertainment including threats of violence. Promoting, organizing, scheduling teams throughout the entire calendar year. Same type program for youth and adult soccer leagues. 

Conclusion: Working with a board of 9 and dozens of volunteers pertaining to one sport quite possibly could be a piece of cake compared to the endless nightmare of working 12-17 hour days, short staffed and underpaid. Overall, the experience was rewarding and long-lasting friendships were made. OH! And sometimes parents weren't very nice. You learn to cope.