I have been coaching now for 7 years from every age group from U6-U15. My roles within each age group have varied from age group director (U6), assistant age group director (U8), assistant coach (U13/14) and head coach (U10, U12, U13, & U15) which is where most of my experience lies. This experience has helped develop my skills in value based leadership, empathetic communication, organization, and cooperation.I also have experience in the management side of a hockey serving as the hockey operations intern for Boulder Hockey Club two of the three years I was there. Additionally I have served as a team leader at USAH's Player Development Camps and as a Team Host during the 2022 World Championships for Team GB and the 2023 World Championships for Team Denmark and Team Canada in Tampere. These experience have given me experience in event management and organization, communication, and how to manage expectations and meet needs. Beyond coaching I have also been co-hosting a podcast for the past year with my friend Rick Schreiber. Our podcast is called The Coach's Road Podcast and has been a great way to expand my knowledge in coaching. It has also been beneficial in enhancing my communication, questioning, and networking skills. Inside of the sports world my interests lie mostly in the holistic development of youth athletes. I want to know as much as possible about the various areas of development for young athletes, from physical to emotional and all other areas. I say holistic because I find it essential to develop good citizens, good athletes and good hockey players without focusing too much on just the hockey player. I am also interested in coach development as I believe developing quality coaches can impact the way thousands of young people are being developed. Outside of sports I like to spend my time reading, doing various outdoor activities, playing video games with my friends, and cooking. I spend a lot of time with my friends, parents, brothers, and cousins doing anything from downhill skiing to grabbing a cup of coffee. Please feel free to reach out via email to derek.read66@gmail.com