David Cook
[email protected]
(905) 483-4688
With over 50 years of involvement in the sport of hockey, Coach Cook brings a wealth of experience and passion to his coaching. His journey in minor hockey began in Saint John, New Brunswick, where he played for the Saint John Pepsi's, igniting a lifelong dedication to the game.
Coach Cook has a diverse coaching background that includes leading a Junior team in Germany and coaching various age levels of minor hockey. His experience further extends to many years of coaching ultra-competitive Canadian Forces men's contact hockey teams, allowing him to understand the game from multiple perspectives.
Deeply committed to player development, Coach Cook emphasizes a detailed season plan focusing on improving skills, teamwork, and a love for the game. For the past three years, he has been coaching the Oakville Rangers, applying his extensive knowledge and experience to nurture young athletes and fostering their growth and passion for hockey.
A true advocate for the sport, Coach Cook continues to inspire players with his dedication, expertise, and love for hockey.
What kind of player is Coach Cook looking for?
As a coach, I want players who love and are addicted to hockey as much as I am. I want players who come to the rink every day wanting to work hard and are eager to learn more skills. I also demand that players be "GREAT" teammates—not good teammates, but GREAT teammates. The intangible things that can bring success in hockey are an insatiable discipline to work hard, ultra-competitiveness, and being a GREAT teammate. Everything else you can learn. I try to find players that have those intangibles.
Off Season Training & Development
We will run a "Fast-Feet" off-season program to improve skating speed and acceleration. My assistant coach will run this skating program on Saturday or Sunday mornings, taking advantage of opportunity ice (to reduce costs). "Fast Feet" training will continue in-season as part of our practice sessions.
We will have two team on-ice sessions per month during June-August.
Players will be given an off-ice program they follow weekly and introduced to using a log book to record and track their age-appropriate workouts. As a team, we will spend one evening per week at Limitless Training Systems (LTS) following their age-appropriate strength, conditioning, and performance training. The use of LTS will continue throughout the season.
Please Note: all activities being offered between July 1st and August 22nd are not affiliated with the Oakville Rangers
Players will have a summer reading assignment, which we will review and discuss at the beginning of September. We will use the lessons learned from the reading assignment for game and practice prep activities throughout the season.
Season Outlook
September will be a busy month. I am a firm believer that September sets up success for the season.
- Expect 4 to 6 weekly practice sessions in September.
- You can expect 2 to 3 practice sessions weekly from October through March.
- Weekly age-appropriate off-ice training sessions as the schedule allows.
We will participate in the following tournaments:
- September Pre-Season Tournament (location TBD, end of Sep)
- Kingston Canadians Tournament Series - U12A - Nov 25 - Kingston, ON
- The Memorial Rep Hockey Tournament - U12 A - Dec 25 - Belle River, ON
- The Oakville Winter Classic - U12 A - Jan 26 - Oakville, ON
In my many years of coaching, one thing is clear: you cannot dedicate one practice to a skill and then believe it was taught. My 'Next Level' program is based on a season plan emphasizing a monthly focus on Goalies, Forwards, Defensemen, and Team skills. At the beginning of each month we will have practices dedicated to Forward 'Next Level' Skills, Defensemen 'Next Level' Skills, Goalie 'Next Level' Skills, and Team 'Next Level' Skills. The skills learned during those sessions will then be emphasized throughout that month and re-visited during the season. Thus, each month of the season will focus on four specific 'Next Level' skill themes.
Coaching Staff (All coaches join us on-ice at our team practice sessions)
Assistant Coach : John Fisher
John grew up playing hockey at the Rep. level in Huntsville and at the AAA level in Sault Ste. Marie. He has over 12 years of experience coaching hockey in Oakville and the GTHL. John is a defensive-oriented coach whose focus on player development (particularly skating skills and a customized off-ice shooting/stick-handling program) has helped his teams win championships and his players advance to higher levels of play. Always encouraging, John demands a lot from his players and, in return, provides an environment where players can maximize their potential while having fun doing it.
Skills Coach : Phil Simeon (Northern Freeze Elite Training Hockey School)
Phil has taught programs across North America. He played hockey at the University of PEI in the competitive AUS division. Before that, he played with the Caledon Canadians of the former Metro Junior A. He also coached three seasons of university hockey at the Royal Military College in Kingston.
Phil creates skills sessions (in consultation with Coach Cook) focusing on improving and accelerating individual skill development, on-ice fitness and conditioning, and team concepts. Phil has a BA from UPEI and an MPA degree from Queen's University.
Goalie Coach: Jamie Lambert (Lambert Goaltending Hockey School)
Delivering the highest-quality goaltending instruction in the GTA, Lambert Goaltending strives to help goaltenders of all ages and skill levels reach their potential. Jamie teaches elite training methods implemented by the best goalies in the world and establishes core values such as dutifulness, discipline, and self-sacrifice, primarily why Lambert Goaltending students see their game elevated so quickly. In many cases, Jamie's students have risen to the AA and AAA levels in only 1-2 years.