HEAD COACH - SEAN MUSSON
Background
Hockey has been a lifelong obsession for me. As a kid, I spent hours going from town to town across Northern Alberta and Saskatchewan playing in every kind of rink imaginable, from outdoor rinks with a sketchy roof and chicken wire around the outside to pristine community centres that became the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night. Every time I step into an arena, I can still feel that sense of excitement I had back then, and I push my players to embrace that feeling, too.
I have been a coach with WSMHA for 15 years, first as a parent coach while both my sons made their way through our system, and for the past 5 years as a non-parent coach, along with an experienced staff of non-parent coaches. I’m also going into my 3rd year as the Director of Training and Development for WSMHA, which is a role I have taken great pride in while a member of the Board. As an association, we have expanded our team on-ice player development, provided opportunities for position-specific training like defence skills, partnered with a sports psychologist to build player resiliency, and given our coaches comprehensive tools to plan, analyze and provide player feedback with. This is a great place to be a hockey player.
Over and above what WSMHA provides, our team does additional on-ice training with a professional trainer that focuses on Hockey IQ and team systems more than individual skills. We also conduct frequent team video review sessions using Hudl as well as making consistent individual feedback a priority throughout the season.
Coaching Philosophy
My philosophy is based around three pillars: Mindset. Effort. Accountability. As players mature, the focus of these three areas evolves, but the importance of owning them as part of our team DNA never changes. Having the right mindset coming into and leaving the rink, leaving it all on the ice when we practice or play a game, and being honest and accountable to yourself about your performance is my baseline expectation for players. We also ask our players to hold each other accountable, on and off the ice, prioritizing our team chemistry by becoming a tight group that works and fights hard for each other.
The Stouffville Clippers: THE Place to Stay, THE Place to Play
As we move forward in this new Open Borders environment, the WSMHA is more confident than ever that the Stouffville Clippers is the place to stay for local players and the place to play for aspiring players from across the region. We are already setting the standard for player development, coaching excellence, and community-focused hockey, and we are excited to continue to build on that foundation. Our focus on excellence, player development, and community ensures that we will continue to be one of the top hockey organizations in Ontario. If you are a player or family looking for the best development opportunities, Stouffville Clippers is THE place to be.