When Aaron Wilbur, Founder & CEO of The Coaches Site, hosted his first coaching conference in 2011 in Vancouver, he admittedly had no idea what he was doing.
As an Assistant Coach with the UBC Thunderbirds Men’s Hockey Team at the time, Wilbur was asked to be a coach mentor with Vancouver Minor Hockey. Part of the mentorship role included hosting and delivering coach clinics throughout the year.
He was always transparent with the coaches in attendance that the ideas he was presenting weren’t in fact his. Like any good coach, Wilbur would take the information shared with him by other coaches or through observations he made throughout his coaching journey.
During one speaking engagement, Wilbur was asked where he pulled all the information from.
This was when the light bulb turned on above his head.
The idea was to bring coaches together, to learn from one-another, to share ideas and concepts, and simply bond with others who share the same passion. Nearly 100 coaches showed up to that first conference in 2011 and The Coaches Site was born.
Wilbur and his team immediately began filming their presentations and offering them to coaches from around the world through a membership to TheCoachesSite.com as a way to make the information from live events accessible and affordable.
“This was the goal when The Coaches Site was formed,” said Wilbur. “To create an unbiased platform where ideas around coaching, tactics and player development could be exchanged and debated. We wanted coaches to have access to the best information out there, regardless of where that information came from.”
This year TCS Live is celebrating its 11th year, and the ‘why’ of The Coaches Site hasn’t changed. Our goal is to provide the game’s top leaders and performance experts a platform to share their ideas, and ultimately help coaches provide a better development experience for their players.
“Meeting face-to-face, shaking hands, and sharing information live last year after the Pandemic was refreshing for our community. We couldn’t be more excited to do it all again in Ann Arbor this year. Bringing everyone back together is going to be really special.”
That’s exactly what will be taking place from June 22-24 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, when coaches from all over the world will gather to network, develop and check out the latest resources available. The growing list of speakers includes professional coaches from the NHL, AHL, NCAA, USport, as well as Junior and Minor Pro Ranks, and some of the best clubs in Europe.
“This event is a great opportunity for youth coaches to learn from some of the best professional coaches in the world. Most pro coaches are open books and their dedication and willingness to share is sure to give attendees actionable insights to improve your team immediately.”
Covering topics for all skills levels, participants will take in keynote presentations, panel discussions, live interviews and on-ice presentations. For more information on the event, including how to purchase tickets, visit thecoachessitelive.com.
HOCKEY’S PREMIERE COACHING CONFERENCE
June 22-24 | Ann Arbor, Michigan
TCS Live is about sharing ideas and connecting with leaders in our sport. Learn unique perspectives on how other clubs, leagues and federations are building their programs and pushing the game forward.
Join us and hundreds of like-minded coaches this June for a 3 day masterclass in coaching.
REGISTER FOR TCS LIVE TODAY!
Derek Jory
Derek Jory is the Director of Content at The Coaches Site. He previously spent 14 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks as their head writer and social media expert.
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