BCMML: Coach Spotlight Vancouver NE Chiefs' Jeff Urekar
Thursday, November 26, 2015 - Submitted by Ellen Michelle Koehler: National Correspondent
Jeff Urekar has been an assistant coach for the Vancouver NE Chiefs for two years, but was coaching for minor hockey in Port Moody, where he played as a child, for five years before that. Urekar thoroughly enjoys being a coach, which he decided to do after he finished playing and going to school because he “just wanted to get back involved in the game.”
In his seven years’ experience as a coach he has discovered that the hardest part of the job is getting every player on the team to commit to the same goal and help each other learn and grow as players. When this is accomplished a team can come together to win a championship, like the provincial championship Urekar’s team won last season which he says is the proudest moment of his coaching career.
Urekar’s best piece of hockey advice to all players is to stay involved in the game, in whatever capacity possible. Whether that be playing, coaching, or officiating, staying in the game is important. Urekar intends to follow his own advice, as he said he hopes to one day be a head coach for the Major Midget league, and possibly move up to Junior A eventually.