Coaching Change Needed

When one spends as much time at the rink as Derek Chichak does, it’s nice to get the odd “thanks for a good job” from various individuals.

He started coaching baseball in North Richmond at a young age and he is like everyone other coach just thinking it was for something to do.

He has coached sports moving from baseball, to football, then on to hockey, which has given him a great thrill.

He recently told me that “Early as a football player my inspirations (at Steveston Secondary School) were Ian Anderson and Doug Staveley and between the two of them they provided a whole new approach to coaching with visualization techniques and positive thinking.”

He played junior football for the Richmond Raiders in 1984 and along with team-mates went on to defeat the Regina Rams in the Canadian Junior Football League Western Final.

A short year later he was offered and took a coaching job at the University of Waterloo which eventually put him in touch with former Cincinnati Bengals’ coach Sam Wyche (credited for introducing the no-huddle offence) and Tom Moore, who earned five (5) Super Bowl rings as the offensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts.

Having studied and been influenced by the quotes and techniques of the legendary Vince Lombardi and Lou Holtz, Chichak has also attended numerous football coaching clinics exposing him to some great teachers.

He has coached for the past 12 years with the Seafair Minor Hockey Association, managing to garnish much success with everyone he has coached.

He has a record of either finishing first in either league or provincial Championships he has attended.

He led the Seafair Islanders to second place at the B.C. Juvenile A championships after the team won its first-ever PCAHA league banner with a 14-3-3 record having the team pick up a grand total of 247 penalty minutes.

Seafair  executive director Ken Hamaguchi stated “Year in and out Derek has always been one of our association’s best coaches who brings passion, commitment  and integrity to all games.”

Derek is what you can call a career coach and a passion and a love for the game, helped him get the promotion to the Head Coach of the Delta Ice Hawks.

His number one priority as a Coach is to be prepared mentally and physically and it’s a commitment he expects from all his players and coaches alike.

The Delta Ice Hawks needed a change and getting Derek as the Head Coach is a huge step in the right direction.

Somehow the Ice Hawks had lost focus and direction and it is hoped he can instill a winning confidence with all the players.

Derek (in the photo) is awarded the Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy by Past President of the PCAHA Dave Buck.

Bruce Allison is the past president of the BC Amateur Hockey Association, now BC Hockey.

Congratulations to Derek on this promotion.

Photo by Laird Allan Photo of Sportswave.ca