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Junior Mets Announce Tier II Youth Head Coaches

By Marty Rubin, 03/24/23, 3:45PM PDT

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Seattle Junior Hockey Association is pleased to announce the Seattle Junior Mets Tier II Youth Program for the 2023-2024 season.

Tier II Focused:  Seattle Junior is committed to playing high level Tier II games all season long. In the PNAHA league, in the National Showcase League, in Canada, and along the West Coast, we will be placing our teams in a position to be competitive in every game. Playing like competition will provide more opportunities for players to learn important skills that will help them move up in the following seasons. Our goal is to move players to Tier I every season and win championships doing it. Many opportunities for exposure will come from travel as well, especially the National Showcase League which will have events in adjacent time zones.

Increased ice time:  Starting 2023-2024 season our Tier II teams will be on the ice three times a week for practice for 1.25 hour slots.  This will bring better balance between development and game time.  We expect that the investment of ice time for players will pay off in their Hockey IQ and skill development.

Commitment Expectations: Our Tier II requires a high level of commitment from all players. Practices will be mandatory and travel expectations will be set by coaches ahead of the season. Off-ice training will be expected from all players before and during the season. The revamped OVA gym will be a key space for players to develop strength, speed, flexibility, and mobility throughout the season.

Gear Upgrade: It is an honor to wear the Seattle Junior Mets Tier II jersey. These teams will be the only SJHA Youth teams to wear full-knit jerseys with the new logo. Teams can elect to order a third jersey as well. We will stand out from the crowd, and we must act like it.

12U:
Coach Jerry Weir, a 27-year veteran coach, is one of the area's most influential proponents of youth hockey. As a full-time trainer and skills coach, Coach Jerry seeks to prepare players for hockey and for life. He brings the same dedication to the rink every day whether teaching private session, introducing the game to another class of beginners, running camps and clinics, or coaching a team. For Coach Jerry, it’s all about learning, player development, team building, and life lessons.

Coach Jerry’s approach to teaching the game is based on building strong relationships with his players that serve to motivate, inspire, educate, and develop each player throughout the rest of their hockey careers. Jerry is dedicated to individual skill development, successfully teaching to multiple learning modalities on a daily basis, which is absolutely necessary to move 12U players on to the next level at Bantam.

SJHA is proud to have Coach Jerry steward the next group of elite Peewees through the next step of their hockey journeys.

14U:
Coach Adam Brastad will serve in his second season as SJHA’s 14U Tier II Head Coach. Coach Adam is a product of the local Seattle hockey community. After finishing his Junior A hockey career in the USHL, Adam became a seasoned WHL Official. His depth of knowledge of the game is immense and he is a true motivator for his players.

Coach Adam’s passion for the game knows no bounds. His intensity, competitiveness, commitment to player and team development rival any youth coach in the state. Coach Adam empowers his players to take ownership for their team culture as well as their short- and long-term goals, giving his players a chance to learn important leadership skills on and off ice the ice with support from coaches along the way.

Last season, Coach Adam’s team fought through every practice and game with one motto: “Win the day.” His players learned so much about the game, what it takes to be a competitor, and what it means to be a team.

SJHA could not be more thrilled that Coach Adam has chosen to coach this team again. He is a true leader and a dedicated coach. We are confident that our 14U Tier II team will a competitor in the State Tournament.

16U:
Coach Sean Bucher brings 30 years of coaching and playing experience to SJHA. Coach Bucher’s coaching philosophy is one of accountability and goal-oriented outcomes. The goal for Coach Bucher is to collaborate with players and coaches daily to recognize everyone’s superpowers and develop methods to improve on areas in need of growth.

For Coach Bucher (and Bear Bryan), “Victory or defeat is not determined at the moment of crisis, but rather in the long and unspectacular period of preparation.”

Coach Bucher learned to love the game through the Colorado Thunderbirds and Russel Stover Tier I programs as a young goalie. As a coach Sean has developed players in the Colorado Thunderbirds Tier I and Foothills Hockey Association Tier II programs. During his time at these organizations, Sean was instrumental in helping lead teams to state finals appearances and wins, along with national tournament appearances. Multiple players from these teams are now NCAA Division I & III athletes excelling on the ice and academically at various institutions across the country.

Outside of hockey, Sean works as a Strategist and Consultant, leading cross-functional teams in helping some of the largest brands in the world develop winning formulas for growth and customer experience. Sean brought this experience and hockey knowledge to build the SJHA Coaching Development Program which will debut in earnest next season.

SJHA is very impressed with Coach Bucher’s energy, attention to detail, and commitment to bringing intensity and success to our program.

18U:
Coach Spencer Alvarez has been an integral piece of the Northwest Stars Tier I program for the last three seasons. Head Coaching the 15O AAA and Assistant Coaching the 16U and 18U AAA teams last season, Coach Spencer was responsible for the development of dozens of elite hockey players. Learning deeply what the Tier I level demands from players, Spencer will be using his years of experience to tailor his coaching and expectations to directly what his 18U Tier II players need to make it to the next level.

Coach Spencer draws his leadership development and team building skills from his years serving as a United States Marine. As a Head Coach, Spencer will bring discipline, attention to detail, and a strong sense of camaraderie to his players every day.

SJHA is excited for Spencer to take on this role. He has demonstrated so much learning so much from the Northwest Stars Tier I program and now will be able to take that knowledge to develop SJHA’s top team efficiently and effectively at Tier II. Coach Spencer’s team will vie for a State Championship next season.

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