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Player Development

Mission

 

The Player Development Committee ("PDC") is charged with designing and promoting hockey programs that advance the development of all players in the Wayzata Youth Hockey Association ("WYHA").  The PDC measures its success in terms of each player’s development over the course of a single season, including improved individual hockey skills, positional play, hockey theory, and team concepts/systems.

 

The focus of the PDC is the enhancement of each player’s individual skills and ability to contribute to team play through:

  • on ice training and skill development
  • effective dryland training
  • skill session curriculum
  • cost-effective clinic opportunities
  • coach training and development (in collaboration with the WYHA’s Coaches’ Committee)

Recognizing the unique importance of goaltenders to the WYHA, the PDC also addresses special initiatives aimed at the recruitment and development of goaltenders at every level

 

Director of Hockey Operations


WYHA Director of Hockey Operations, Miles Death

Miles Death currently serves as the Director of Hockey Operations at WYHA. In this role, he oversees the administration and player development for the entire association. 

Miles brings a variety of coaching experience to this position. He is currently an assistant coach on the Wayzata High School staff in addition to working year-round in hockey skill development for Wayzata Hockey Clinics, Minnesota Lakers, Individual Skills Clinics, and several other youth associations around the Twin Cities. Since beginning his coaching career in 2016 with the Wayzata Squirt A’s, Miles has worked with players at all levels and developed a coaching philosophy based on individual skill development and introducing hockey concepts at a young age.  His list of coaching qualifications is listed below:

- WYHA Head Coach, 2016-2020 (Squirt A & Peewee AA)

- Wayzata HS Assistant Coach, 2018-present

- Individual Skills Clinics Instructor, 2017-present

- Minnesota High Performance Section 6 Head Coach, 2021-present

Committee Members

The PDC is chaired by the Director of Hockey Operations (DHO) and the committee is made up of the following members:

  • Wayzata High School Varsity Boys and Girls coaches
  • Representative of the Mite Program
  • Representatives for each age classification spanning  A, B and C levels
  • VP of Travel hockey (WYHA Board member)

The PDC welcomes questions and comments about player development. Our contact information is available on the WYHA web site.

Development

New this season, WYHA will implement a new two part approach on how we develop our players during the season. One part will focus on the proper evaluation of our players. That will allow our coaches to highlight strengths, and correct weaknesses for each individual player. The second part will focus on association wide bi-weekly themes. These themes will cover the basic areas of the game, to allow our coaches to teach hockey concepts much more effectively.


WYHA's Core Four of Player Development

Clinics

 WYHA has made a commitment to offer clinics to its registered players at an affordable price utilizing top-notch instructors. The PDC helps plan clinics for all levels from Mites to High School.  Clinics for Mite, Squirt, Pee Wee, Girls U10, and U12 levels emphasize skill development; and clinics for Girls U14, Bantam, and High School levels provide a more systematic program for the development of technical, tactical, and physical hockey skills.

Wayzata Hockey Clinics (http://www.wayzatahockeyclinics.com/) are affiliated with the WYHA, and the clinics are open only to players registered with the WYHA program. The "STP" program, which follows the guidelines set forth by Minnesota Hockey, is offered and run by the Wayzata High School Boys and Girls Hockey Head Coaches and their assistants during the off season. The PDC endorses and recommends these clinics to registered players of the WYHA.
 
Due to the large number of players in the WYHA, registered players are not guaranteed registration in offered clinics.  Links to other clinics and camps are found in the Links page.

Other Opportunities

 WYHA encourages hockey parents to explore all opportunities for hockey skills development to find the camp/clinic that best fits their family’s situation. Click on Links page for opportunities.  Parents should consider various factors in making a well-informed decision about the right camp/clinic in which to enroll their child. Ask questions! Inquire about the specific amount of on-ice instruction and the specific qualifications and experience of staff that will actually be on the ice during the camp/clinic.