Name: Joe Najim
Team: Lambton AAA Major Atom 2008s
What made you want to be a Hockey coach?:
I wanted to be a coach because I’ve always loved hockey and had some impactful coaches myself growing up. When my son started playing AAA hockey last year with a great group of kids & families, I felt as though this was my chance to give back and hopefully be as influential to these players as my coaches were to me. I’m having a lot of fun so far this season and I look forward to going to the rink everyday.
What is your pregame ritual?:
My pregame ritual includes watching one of our previous games at home before heading to the game, so any points for improvement are fresh in my head. Once at the rink, I let the boys know our game plan and try and get them excited and focused to play.
What is your greatest coaching memory?:
My favourite coaching memory was definitely this past weekend while playing in a tournament in Notre Dame. We played and competed well against some top American teams but, even more than the top notch play, I felt the team really bonded and had fun during all of our “off ice” opportunities as well. We were lucky enough to attend a Notre Dame hockey game, tours of the campus and a tour of the team dressing room. I am certainly very proud of this Major Atom team.