Unique program helps build coaching skills

Though he’s been coaching hockey for 15 years, Levi Denny believes he’ll be a much better coach now thanks to a recent pilot project in which he participated.

The 38-year-old Mi’kmaq, who lives on Nova Scotia’s Eskasoni First Nation, was one of nine individuals from across the country who took part in the Aboriginal Apprentice Coach Program.

This program allowed those taking part to be part of the coaching staff for the Canada Winter Games, which were held in Halifax from Feb. 11 to Feb. 27.

Denny was an associate coach for the Nova Scotia boys’ entry. The boys’ hockey tournament was staged during the first week of the Halifax games.

The Nova Scotia team played seven games and won two of them. The club was eliminated from further action after it was blanked 5-0 by Team Ontario in the quarter-final match.

Denny, though, summed up the event as follows: “It was a wonderful experience,” he said.

The Aboriginal Apprentice Coach Program is a joint venture between the Aboriginal Sport Circle, the Canada Games Council and the Coaching Association of Canada.
The program goal is to provide participants with exposure at a multi-sport competition. Also, coaches in the program will undoubtedly receive some valuable tips and advice from their fellow coaches.

Denny worked with three other coaches on the Nova Scotia squad.

The team’s head coach was Chris Donnelly, who is the associate coach of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Halifax Mooseheads.

The two other coaches on staff were Troy Ryan and Aaron Rice. Ryan is the head coach of the Metro Marauders, a club based in Dartmouth, N.S. which competes in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. And Rice is the head coach of the Cape Breton Tradesmen, a major midget squad.

Denny said working with this trio provided him with invaluable experience.

“Some of the coaching things I learned would have taken me years to learn on my own,” he said. “It really helped me learn how to develop hockey players.”

Denny said the Nova Scotia coaching staff frequently utilized videos as coaching tools, something he had never done previously. And there was tons of information he learned himself about on- and off-ice training and proper nutrition.

“It was pro level coaching every day,” Denny said of his 10-day stint at the Halifax games.

Besides working with others during the games themselves, Denny said he was able to benefit from several other moments he also spent with the coaching staff, dating back to last year.

He was with the Nova Scotia team during its spring camp last April. And he also took part in summer camps in June and July, a tournament in October and a final camp in December.

Denny has been coaching for the past 15 years with the Eskasoni Minor Hockey Association. He’s also served as the association’s president for the past eight years.

He finds the time to coach teams that are not on his First Nation as well. For the past six years, he’s been a bench boss in the Cape Breton County Minor Hockey Association.

This season he’s the head coach for that association’s minor peewee AAA club. This team, comprised of 11- and 12-year-olds, includes Denny’s son, who is also named Levi. The younger Denny is a goalie with the club.

Thanks to his experiences with the Nova Scotia squad, the elder Denny is keen to continue advancing his coaching career.

“I’ve gotten a little taste of (coaching elite players) now and I’d like to see how far I can go with it,” he said. “I’d love to coach at the pro level.”

Denny is well acquainted with at least one pro player. His cousin—and next door neighbour growing up—is Chad Denny, who has played for teams in the American Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League since turning pro four years ago.

Levi was the only Nova Scotia resident who was part of the Aboriginal Apprentice Coach Program.

Manitoba and the Yukon were the only two province or territory that had two of its residents in the program.
Omar Constant, an archery coach, and hockey coach Stacey Corfield, represented Manitoba. Yukon’s reps were Katrina Couch and Carolyn Coombs, who worked with snowboarding and cross-country skiing teams, respectively.

Others in the program were Robert Lewis of Prince Edward Island in judo; Alisha Isaac of New Brunswick in synchronized swimming; Tiffany Smith of Saskatchewan in synchronized swimming; and Lee Tange from Alberta in boxing.