Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education is proud of the work that our staff do on and off the ice. In order to spotlight the outstanding effort they put into the organization, we regularly interview a staff member about their time with Snider.
Featured in this staff spotlight are Landon Culver and Victoria Maloney, Alumni Coaches. Landon and Victoria bring their experience of going through the Snider program to their roles as coaches. making their students feel welcomed to Scanlon and Simons, respectively, every time they are at the rink!
What made you get into hockey in the first place?
Landon – Growing up, my dad had always played hockey and I was always intrigued by it and eventually my younger brother and I decided we both wanted to start playing.
Victoria – My brothers both started ice hockey before me, and I used to sit in the stands with my dad and watch them in Learn to Play before he signed me up to do it (since I used to poke fun at them falling all the time, as a good older sister does). Initially, I was very scared to try it, but once I stepped on the ice and made friends with the people in my Learn to Play group, I never looked back. I stuck with it because of the friends I made, the competitiveness of the sport, and how happy going to hockey made me every day. It was also nice to have something that our whole family could be involved in, and Snider became our second home.
How did you get involved with Snider?
Landon – My family would typically go to public skates at Scanlon and eventually we heard about Snider Hockey from some friends and learned more about it at the rink. My brother and I got fitted for our equipment and have been with the program ever since.
Victoria – I went to a Sunday public skate at Simons with some family friends of ours that were in Snider, who told us we should try it out. Then, my dad signed up both of my brothers to play, and I started in the Learn to Play class after them.
What is your favorite part about your job?
Landon – My favorite part about coaching is simply helping the players find happiness through hockey. For me personally, hockey was a time when I could be free from everything and just have fun. Some people need that short escape and I love being able to help provide people with a place that can be like a second home.
Victoria – My favorite part of coaching is coming to Simons and seeing the progress our students make every day, both on and off the ice. Currently, I coach the Simons Junior Stallions SHL team, and seeing all the progress the team has made in terms of competition level, skill, confidence, and camaraderie they have with one another makes me be proud to be their coach and excited to come to the rink every day.
What is a success story you’ve had while coaching a student-athlete?
Landon – I don’t think I can pinpoint a success story with a specific student-athlete, but I would say my favorite success story I’ve had while coaching a group was during my first year coaching the senior age group. During our playoff game we went through 3 overtime periods and unfortunately lost, but I saw how hard the players worked toward a goal and how much it meant to them to be part of a team. While it may not have been the best result for a season to end, the amount of joy and determination I saw from each student was worth it.
Victoria – When I first came back to coaching late last season, there was a fully-dressed student watching hockey practice but upset and not getting on the ice. I stopped by and asked him to come sit with me on the bench and showed him a Polaroid camera that I always bring with me and let him play with it before asking him why he wasn’t getting on the ice. He explained that he hadn’t been to hockey in a while and was scared to get back on the ice, and I told him that I had just been off the ice for a little less than a year before coming back to coach because of an injury. I then told him that if he wanted, he could hop on the ice and I would stick with him the whole time, but if not, we could just sit together for the rest of practice. At the end of practice, I even let him pick the game he played because of how much fun he was having. After that practice, he seemed so excited to come to practices, and a few months later, he was added to my SHL team! Now, he’s tried out every position, is excited to be at practice, and has made amazing friendships with his teammates.
Do you have any specific coaching mantra or philosophy that you try to follow?
Landon – I don’t have a specific mantra but I have tried to compile different aspects from all of the best coaches I’ve had and I try to approach each day as an opportunity to improve and learn something new. No two players are the same and the way to coach one player could be completely different from the way to coach another, so I believe it’s important to be versatile and be able to approach each situation with an open mind.
Victoria – Two of my Snider coaches that coached me when I was in the program, Coach Cameron and Coach Jeremy, both used to say that everyone had an “invisible backpack” – meaning that everyone has things that they’re dealing with that you might not know about because those things are not visible or being told to you directly. Because of this, a player could be upset or having a bad day and take it out on someone, but that person is not the reason why they’re upset. Coaching from that perspective has helped me focus on making sure everyone has a good day at the rink, whether they’re on the ice or not.
Do you have any advice for a coach just starting out?
Landon – Do not take yourself too seriously. There is definitely a time and a place where being serious may be better, but I’ve found that being able to have fun with the work you do and not take a single moment for granted is the best way to approach coaching. One bad day for a coach could make or break a player’s experience with the sport all together. It’s very important to be a good person/coach to be around.
Victoria – The advice that I would give is to focus on the connection that they have with the players. The players are why we’re able to coach in the first place, so making them feel welcomed, seen, and heard will make their experience at Snider one that sticks with them forever. As a former Snider player, the connections and encouragement from my coaches made a huge, life-lasting impact on me that helped me get to where I am today. Stopping to talk with players, incorporating player feedback into practices, and connecting with Snider families makes a long-lasting impact, so taking a moment to do these things no matter your role is significant.
What is your favorite memory as a coach at Snider?
Landon – My favorite memory as a coach would probably be the first Learn to Skate cohort that I was the leading. After the final practice for the cohort, the players and parents presented the coaches with a gift that included a card signed by everyone and different gifts for the coaches. It wasn’t my favorite because of the gifts, but it truly felt great to see that the coaches had such an impact on the parents and players that they decided to come together to do that for us.
Victoria – One of my favorite memories just occurred a week ago. We were going over angling in practice with the Simons Junior Stallions team and after Justin, the other Junior Stallions coach, and I ran through a demonstration, the players started to angle each other and knock each other over, and then falling into a fit of giggles. Eventually we did get to the point where they were doing the drill correctly, but I was laughing so hard it hurt. I was very happy to see the players having fun and feeling comfortable to goof around a bit, as well as seeing them execute the drill perfectly once they focused a bit.
Were there any coaches that inspired you to coach today?
Landon – There have been many coaches that I’ve had that have inspired me and the way I coach today. I’m happy to say that I work with some of those same coaches now and I am able to continuously learn from them and improve everyday. From the moment I first started with Snider Hockey, I knew that I wanted to coach just like the people that were coaching me.
Victoria – Coach Dave G., Coach Cameron, Coach Jeremy, Coach Sam, Coach Casey, Coach Jay – just to name a few. I respect all of these coaches so much and without them, I would not have gotten to where I was today. Also special shoutout to Lucas and Matt, who have done a fantastic job of building a great culture at Simons and making sure that all of the coaches and players feel supported.
