2011/2012 CBHA Bantam AAA Bisons

One of my best years ever for being a hockey trainer. I've been doing it for 5 seasons now and on my 5th season I picked the 2011/2012 CBHA Bantam Bisons to work with. I have never worked with the Bantam age group and wanted a change from Minor Midget. I definitely don't regret switching age groups, in fact I'm surprised I never did it earlier. I worked with a great bunch of kids and a great coaching/management staff. It was the most fun I have had in awhile working a hockey team and I'm glad that I got to experience such a complete team from the kids to the staff to the parents. We didn't win any tournaments but did pretty good in most of them. We went to 3 tournaments this year in Red Deer (2nd place), Medicine Hat (4th place?) and then St. Albert (Consolation B runner up). Overall that was the best that this team has ever done, so it was good. I enjoyed working with this team so much and I even strapped on the skates to be at their practices too. This was a lot of fun and I wonder why I never did it before? From now on I will try to be on the ice with the kids more (for practices). We made a good run to provincials. We beat out the pesky Stamps and then the Royals for the City Championships (both teams that we had a very hard time beating during the regular season) and then we beat out the Airdrie Extreme for the Southern Ablerta Championships. We faced Edmonton SSAC in the Provincial finals but were swept 3-0 in a 5 game series. It was a very memorable season though and it ended up with my coaching staff winning the "Coaching Staff of the Year" award and myself winning the "Trainer of the Year" award. What a great team and what a great year! Go Bisons Go!!!